The heroes of the future, the real heroes that will make the world a better place, have not been fully realized yet. We stand here on the brink looking forward into what could be dark times. Our new president comes to mind. He’s a big believer in Superman, and I’ll definitely look to him as an example. But on a lesser, more local scale, heroes need to emerge. We as a people need to take a stand for the future. 

I read this article the other day i my google reader  about these dudes who dress up in costumes and be  superheroes. The Rolling Stone article is really worth a read. But it got me thinking. Some time ago, I read a statement from Grant Morrison, one of my favorite comic book writers.  He said that in the last decade t was an obvious choice for the super hero to move from the pages of comic books to the movie screen. But that in the coming age, the natural progression would be from the screen to reality. I always trip out when things like that come to pass.  Apparently, there are hundreds of people out there in the world like Master Legend, the guy pictured above… Hundreds. 

It sounds a little wild, doesn’t it?  I sometimes feel like a super hero, helping friends move, or hoist furniture, log into a wifi account or deal with just life, you know?  I’m always ready to give to life. I am always down for bringing happiness. And while I have no laser beam eyes or bullet proof skin, I have something special that I want to give freely. 

We all do.  We all have something to contribute, right?  In this coming year, 2009, our new president talks of a new age of service. What would it look like if the new age of service looked like millions of people across the country doing good for no reason other than the sake of  doing it? What would it look like if people stated taking responsibility for their own communities. Get past the goofy costumes for a  minute (and among us, who hasn’t worn what might be considered goofy by someone) and get down to real hero behavior.  

hero |ˈhi(ə)rō|noun ( pl. -roes)a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities : a war hero.

• the chief male character in a book, play, or movie, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathize.

• (in mythology and folklore) a person of superhuman qualities and often semidivine origin, in particular one of those whose exploits and dealings with the gods were the subject of ancient Greek myths and legends.

• (also hero sandwich) another term for submarine sandwich .

ORIGIN Middle English (with mythological reference): via Latin fromGreek hērōs.

Taking a stand for what you believe in.  Giving selflessly of yourself.  Having courage in the face of fear. Helping those in need. With great power comes great responsibility. In so many ways, this is us. This is what our community has to contribute to the new age, heroism.  

I can’t help but think that we are going to need it.  Most of us already have secret identities and code names,  outlandish, audacious costumes, and extraordinary ability of some sort. When things get weird where you are at, will you be there to answer the call to action? I think that Burners Without Borders is calling my name. 

Excelsior!