A Superhero Fantasy

I hear her scream from a mile away. It is a scream for help and the pitch of her voice tells me how urgent the situation is. I jump off the ledge and in a matter of seconds I’m by her side. I punch the thug square on his face and save the day. The lady is grateful and comes forward to give me a kiss. But at that precise moment I wake up with a start.

Have you noticed this is how superhero dreams always tend to end? You never get the reward for your heroics. Maybe this is how superheroes are supposed to be. Always selfless and never expecting a reward. Frustrating though it may seem, a person never really stops dreaming of becoming a superhero.  Be it a child or a 70 year old, we always want to become a superhero and do something heroic.

But what’s with this childlike fantasy? Well there’s no denying the coolness factor that goes with being a superhero. Different age-groups perceive it in different ways. Children grow up reading comic books and want to become like those heroes. They always dream of flying to school or being super-powerful so they can pick up their school bus or uproot buildings and trees. A child also bonds with his father by imagining him as a superhero. I used to think my father could tackle a gang of thugs single-handedly until the day he burst my bubble.

Adults on the other hand cannot resist the sense of power, the ability to do things that no one else can do and the feeling of being special because God made you so. Add to that how superheroes are being glorified and given a sense of realism in today’s Hollywood films and everyone wants to become like them.

 I too have always wanted to become a superhero. There have been times when I have actually prayed to God asking him to grant me super powers. My power-wish-list has always changed according to the situation I was in at that time. I want to fly, teleport, travel back in time, etc. etc. I have even analysed why I haven’t been granted these powers, but never got a logical answer. Maybe it's because I have always wanted these powers for selfish reasons.

But I feel the real reason behind this fantasy is for a person to be able to do something which he or she isn’t capable of. Dreaming of being a superhero brings in a sense of escapism. A person always feels that by being a superhero he or she won’t ever have to work again and just fly away from the hustle-bustle of life. They also feel they can do something of which they have always dreamed of but have not been able to. In other words they just want to be kids again!

This post is dedicated to Suraj Shetty, who has always dreamed of being Goku! He is 24 today and he still dreams! This is your birthday gift mate!