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BEING A PARENT IS HEROIC IN ITSELF
Kathlyn Q. Barrozo
Class of 1991, University of Santo Tomas
B.S. Medical Technology
When we were kids, we all had heroes that we adored, strived to emulate, or hoped to become. Superman was
always the superhero that most boys idolized. He was the ultimate symbol of great power capped with
tremendous humility. The mild mannered Clark Kent was his human form. In the upcoming movie Man of Steel,
the producers aim to show Superman as a typical human being, quite apart from what the earlier opuses on
Superman have tried to show. We shall soon find out that he can be temperamental, far from the mild-
mannered character we have always been familiar with in earlier versions.
As a little girl, I always liked watching Bionic Woman and Wonder Woman on TV. Too bad Linda Carter and
Lindsay Wagner no longer essay the roles of those two super heroines. If TV producers could only bring back
those TV series, we’d have better fare to watch at least a week aside from what has been currently offered by
the TV networks.
But those mentioned above are superheroes/super heroines. They do not make up the majority of the world’s
population. Neither do they face common everyday problems like we do. Maybe the Man of Steel who’s
coming in June hopes to change our earlier perceptions of Superman, but it’s not everyday that anyone gets to
face a diabolical foe like General Zod!
We are all heroes or heroines in our own right. We face everyday problems and attempt and even succeed at
solving them. We face the most outrageous obstacles in life and try our best to maintain our sanity amidst all
the madness and chaos. We equip ourselves and our children with the weapons to face every aspect of their
lives with their faith intact and their self-esteem undiminished. Parents are heroes in the eyes of their children.
It is up to us, therefore, to take care of that image.
However, in keeping our reputation well-preserved, let us not forget that we are humans, too. Let us allow
ourselves to show our children that we do have our vulnerabilities. We need not pretend to have an
impenetrable shield and a very strong mind all the time. Let us allow our kids to see that we are humans too,
prone to weakness and uncertainty. We cannot be perfect heroes all the time. By all means, let us stick to our
principles. But let us not mislead our children into believing that we always have the answers and that we do
not need other people’s assistance.
Perhaps, if we succeed in showing our children more humility rather than immense pride, we may succeed in
raising humans who, aware of their inadequacies, can still strive to optimize what they have and will not be too
proud to ask for help. Such is the stuff real superheroes are made of.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1.
Who is your favorite superhero? What is it about this superhero that you admire the most?
2.
Do you look at your parents as heroes? Elaborate on your answer by talking about their great attributes.
3.
Is there any other individual you look up to as your hero? Be able to talk about this person.
4.
Why do you think being a superhero isn’t easy? Justify this with concrete examples, as needed.
5.
How do we become heroes in our own right?