Super You
J. Kevin Tumlinson

When “Spider-man” made its film debut I couldn't have been more excited. After all, by my reckoning I had waited thirty years for this movie! I had grown up in a world that had never been without the web-head, and he had been my hero since I was old enough to pull on a pair of socks and pretend the floor was a wall as I crawled around and made little web shooting noises. If I could be any superhero, it'd be Spider-man. But maybe not entirely for the reasons you might think.

Spider-man is an underdog. He's the “down on his luck” superhero – an average shmuck with average shmuck problems who just happened to get bitten by a radioactive (or genetically altered) spider. And get this – even with the nifty new spider-powers he's STILL got the same problems, plus a whole list of new ones! Despite all of the daily hassles and issues with chaffing (those skin tight spandex costumes are brutal on delicate skin), Spidey still pushes through and fights the good fight.

I've always had a thing for stories about underdogs. Something about the little guy toughing it out and overcoming the bully or the evil conglomerate or the mighty Goliath has always given me a sense of hope. I think everyone must feel that way – why else are underdog stories always so popular? We all want to see the little guy come out on top because, well, we ARE the little guy.

We like to see stories where people beat the odds and win the un-winnable fight. It's built into us because our whole lives we've seen the world as being against us. We get a flat tire on the way to work or we spill coffee on our new pair of khakis and we get the sense that there's some universal grudge against us. And when you think like that, like the whole universe is against you, it starts to make you feel pretty small.

But you're way more significant than you might think. It's a huge cliché to say, “One person can make a difference,” but it's true. Hey, would I be here, writing this column every week, if I didn't believe it? Just think about all the interactions you have with people throughout any given week. The things you say, the ideas you express, the attitudes you portray – all have their impact on the people around you.

Now me, I'm kind of cynical some times. It's my way. I'm the healthy skeptic, looking at the world from a perspective that's purposely different from that of others. I do it that way because I think there are times the world needs to hear from the other side of the fence. Too often we dismiss ideas that aren't in tune with what we already believe. So I make it a point to be a nuisance, and I think the world is a better place for it.

That's me. So what do you do that makes an impact? Do you do volunteer work? Pick up litter when you take a walk? Go to every high school football home game, even though you hate football and don't even have kids on the team? Don't you think any of these things have an impact on the world?

People are capable of so much good and they usually don't even realize it. I've seen the impact that things like opening a door for someone or stopping to help someone with a flat tire can have on a person. It's like they think you're a superhero.

You're an underdog, just like Spidey. Despite the fact that the whole world seems to be against you some times, you still take the time to do something positive for someone else. You're doing your bit to toss a pebble at Goliath, even if you don't think much of the act. Hey, that's what being a true underdog is all about.

Kind of makes you want to root for yourself, huh? You were a superhero all along and you didn't even realize it. Of course, if you can spin webs and climb walls, please e-mail me. I think you're cool.

J. Kevin Tumlinson is the Editor for ViewOnline Magazine at www.viewonline.com . He is a Houston Baptist University graduate with degrees in English and Communications. You can reach him by e-mail at kevin@viewonline.com . He has the power to calm jittery squirrels.