It came to me while I was preparing my Christmas lasagna, that I may have an addiction. Possibly something which would require an intervention. As I was slicing up the onions I looked down and realized I was wearing my Superman apron. Pretty cool, right? While I don’t have the hairline of Clark Kent, buried beneath layers of pasta, beer, burritos and an occasional veggie is a six pack that’s the envy of every weightlifter. Then it dawned on me. After I wake up, I put on my favorite bathrobe which is colored in Superman Red and Blue, with his huge “S” emblem in the back. I’ll then dress for work and probably wear Stance socks decorated with superheroes. At my office, observant visitors will notice a Superman figurine guarding the entrance. On the bookshelf is Batman, ever watchful.
These days many of my client appointments are WebEx meetings. I’ll send out an invite for the meeting and after an introduction I’ll open to the homepage on my laptop. What image does the client immediately see? Batman, looking out on high, guarding over Gotham City.
Depending upon the day, I’ll hit the gym. If I’m lifting, and trying not to put the muscle men to shame, I’m wearing a Superman tank. Lucky for us we live in a beautiful town, not far from the beach. Dee and I often walk along the waterfront at sunset. I’ll grab my hoodie which has on the front; you guessed it, a big ‘S’ for the big guy. So that’s a normal day. I may have missed a reference or two to a superhero, but assuming not, that’s a wrap. We’ll eat, watch some TV and go to bed. I’m an early riser so I don’t use an alarm but occasionally if I might need a reminder I’ll set one. My wake-up tune? Superman’s Song by Crash Test Dummies.
So, do you think I have a problem? Should I seek help? If so, where? Heroes are an interesting study. They tell us who we are and what’s at the heart of our being. We all know about the ancient Greeks and the god’s they worshiped. With all respect to those still following Zeus, Hades and Athena, are they much different than today’s superheroes? According to Marvel I guess not, after all Thor has captured the hearts of many. Heroes in many ways are our guiding lights and set a standard we all should want to follow. As the above-mentioned song goes; “Even though he coulda smashed through any bank in the United States, he had the strength but he would not.” Heroes set an example of what we should strive to be. Do the right thing, take care of those who are vulnerable, think of yourself last, sacrifice for others. Those are the values we all were raised with and try to pass on to others.
In business is that so wrong? We really can do the right thing all the time and benefit our clients. Capitalism is a wonderful thing and if done correctly, many of us benefit from the gain. It does not have to be a dog-eat-dog world. I was raised in an industry by a mentor who preached, ‘take care of others first, it’s the right thing to do’. Don’t think of your compensation, put that out of your mind. Put your clients’ needs first, and good things will follow. This may sound foolish and naïve but it lets me sleep peacefully knowing we’re always doing the right thing.
Back to the original question; should I seek professional help? On second thought, no thank you. I’ll just take my heroes along wherever I go.
Musings on this Ash Wednesday. Why would anyone willingly deny themselves something they enjoy when there a plenty of things they want and don’t have?
