Yay!  It’s Marvel day! *throws confetti in the air and dances*  I know one or two were curious when I was going to throw in the Marvel character and today is the day.  Woo hoo!

Professor  X, for those that don’t know (I can hear the fans screaming, “Who doesn’t know the X-Men?“), appears on the comic called the X-Men, from the beginning, basically the leader of the group of “mutants” (humans) with special abilities.  The good Professor himself, is a strong telepath and has like, ten different degrees in subjects like genetics and psychology.

I liked the series, because I could always think about what super power I could choose, if I were one of the X-Men, and what I would do with that power.  It wasn’t always for the greater good. *winks*  There were days (like this morning) where I wish that I could move things with my mind, that way I could sit down and finish my coffee, but get laundry done at the same time.  (I know some of you can empathize with this.)  When I would need to be evil with this power *muah-ha-ha,* I would hide cookies in our house from my husband. (He’s not going to like that.)

What about you?  If you were with the X-Men, what would your super power be?  Would it be for good or evil?

The Wampus Cat tale is a little like someone blended a Dr. Seuss story with a dash of Stephen King and Tim Burton.  I felt the story was a little harsh to the woman who’s only crime was to be curious about what the men were talking about on their hunting trips.  If I had the magic hand to finish this story, after the medicine man punishes the woman “by binding her to her mountain cat skin,” I would have her make it her mission to seek vengeance against the people who wronged her.  Perhaps in the story she comes to realize about herself that she never really belonged to these people and it was her destiny to go on to other things, things that she could handle on her own now, thanks to the medicine man’s failed logic to have her be able to transform into the Wampus Cat.  After all, if her greatest sin was curiosity, then perhaps her vengeance can serve a greater good.  Maybe the X-men could use her on their team?

Her story kind of reminds me of Medusa, the woman who was cursed because she had an affair (whether forced or not is up in speculation) with Poseidon in Athena’s temple.  Athena was jealous of Medusa and cursed her to have serpents in her hair and that anyone who gazed upon her would turn to stone.  Not so fortunate, was Medusa; cursed because of a jealous woman.

Oh man…my mind is whirling with stories this morning.  Now, I’m imagining the Wampus Cat, Medusa and Cat Woman all sitting around having tea.  *needs coffee*

Do you know any good tales about a woman who unfairly treated?  How about a man?

Bravery is a funny thing.  It’s easy enough to associate bravery with policemen, firefighters, soldiers (as it should); it’s what first comes to mind if you think about it.  When I was considering the topic for today’s blog, I came across the story of The Brave Little Tailor and I thought, But what about everyday heroes?

Just the other day I was reading an article about a lawn company that was working in a neighborhood and noticed an elderly lady struggling to get outside her house to take care of her own lawn.  She had been living alone for some time, her husband had passed away a few years back and the kids had moved on, and the entire neighborhood knew that she was having a hard time.

These strangers, the lawn company employees, took notice of someone who needed help and did something about it.  The went and mowed her yard for free.  They did it not for financial gain, but because they saw someone that needed help and that’s what they did.  Simple, right?

Another story that I recently read was about a woman that pulled into a drive thru and broke down crying at the window.  The teenagers that worked the window and some inside the restaurant came up to the distraught woman and prayed with her.  *just taking a moment to think about this one – trying not to cry in my coffee this morning*  Was this action brave?  One could argue that the easier thing to do would have been to ignore the woman crying and go on to help the next customer.  Instead, these teenagers noticed someone in need and they helped the only way they knew how at the time.

One more – I saw a video on Facebook where a guy pulls into a valet spot and rushes away from his car, forgetting to put money in the meter.  A homeless man, who was sitting under the awning of the store by the spot, took notice and tried to run after the frantic man to let him know that he had forgotten to pay, but was unsuccessful.  Knowing that the man would probably be ticked, do you know what the homeless man did?  He took a few coins from his cup and paid the meter.  This man, who barely had anything, took his money to help a stranger. (It later comes out that man who ran off was doing a social experiment and had recorded the whole thing.  He comes back two hours later – the homeless man kept feeding the meter with his meager savings – and shows him that he had been recorded and that they were so grateful that he helped.  Because the homeless man helped, they gave him money to help him out.)

Bravery is a funny thing.  When you feel like life is beating you down, you know, when things keep piling up one after the other; you have a choice.  You can let it wash over you and pull you under, or you can keep your head above water and tread as fast as you can to dry land so you can catch your breath, and begin again.  Holding your head up, saying no, refusing to quit; all these things take a certain amount of bravery.

“If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery as a quality which knows no fear, I have never seen a brave man.  All men are frightened.  The more intelligent they are, the more they are frightened.” – George S. Patton

Do you know any everyday heroes?