Licensed Psychologist, Robin’s Partner, and True Believer
“A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boy’s shoulders to let him know the world hadn’t ended.” – Batman
There is tremendous power in stories. When we are young, they can act as sanctuaries or gateways; ushering us into fantastic worlds of wonder; providing a temporary escape from the harsh realities of our own lives. But when we get older, these same stories can become blueprints; giving us road maps to better places. Places where we actually want to live. Places where we can become a greater, larger version of ourselves. Places where we are different and can make a difference.
For me, that entry into a larger world came in the form of a Batman LP storybook when I was about four years old. There were four separate adventures where he and the Boy Wonder faced off against The Riddler, The Scarecrow, Catwoman and of course, the Crown Prince of Crime himself, The Joker. To say I was captivated by these stories would be an understatement. The music, the sound effects, the danger and adventure; all of it worked to awaken my imagination and embolden my heart. As a child, the world at times could seem like a big scary place. And even with loving parents like mine, there was still an abiding sense of uncertainty and menace that made me feel powerless and afraid. Until the day I was first transported to the gritty streets of Gotham City and into the exploits of its intrepid heroes, Batman and Robin.
Gotham City was every bit as scary as anything I was facing (at least when I was four), but this did not stop the dynamic duo from helping other people, taking a stand for what they believed was right or living life on their own terms. As I grew older, I realized that the courage my imaginary friends displayed was not something that, as Dr. King would say, “rolled in the wheels of inevitability”. Rather, it was the consequence of daily choices to improve themselves through training, study, and commitment to something larger than themselves. They built relationships with other like-minded people (Commissioner Gordon, Superman and the Justice League, Batgirl, etc.) to deepen their impact. And they did their best to become, for each other, the family that misfortune and malice had taken from them.
I have heard it said that, a friend is like a second self. Well if that is so, my friends from Gotham City gave ideas about who I could become, even in the face of life changing tragedy and injustice. Their adventures were invitations to show up on the pages of my own life as its hero; neither a villain nor a victim. Their example has influenced everything from my chosen vocation (psychologist; a helping profession) to who I married (her name’s Robin).
And even now, they remind me of how to bring my best to the table, even when life is serving up its worst. I will forever be grateful for both the shelter and the strength these heroes have given to me.