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My wonder sources in Aikido. Aikido has evolved richer and deeper since I was 12 years old, when Mom ‘made’ me take classes. I also recall that sense of wonder in drawing superheroes as a kid.
Until I was a senior in high school, Mom, my sister Carol and I would spend a couple weeks a year with my Mom’s parents, my grandparents, in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. My grandparents owned the general store in Hilo. I loved drawing on these large sheets of butcher paper from the store with my cousins Russell and Harvey, who were 7 and 6 years older than I was. We drew superheroes.
Russell and Harvey were amazing drawers and taught me to draw. Russell drew the awesome Superman and Aquaman. Harvey drew the best Batman and Green Lantern. We spent hours lying on our Grandparents’ living room floor drawing superheroes. While drawing my favorite superheroes, I transformed into them in my imagination. I got lost within my drawings.
Drawing heroes became my passion. I created my own heroes as well. I bought books on anatomy, so I could accurately draw the muscles and capture the dynamic action. Russell joked years later when he saw some of my drawings, “They don’t have any skin.” Yeah, my heroes were probably 1% body fat or less.
Russell is now the very successful attorney and law partner. Harvey became a dentist, but he passed away about 30 years ago from acute anemia. I loved Harvey. He was my hero. Harvey had the unique soul. He didn’t care what others thought. He was brilliant, had a photographic memory. He listened to his own distinct voice.
Russell and I discussed our love for drawing a few years back. He said he would draw occasionally. I did too. Only recently, I got back to sketching some as well.
Drawing like Aikido is my Wordsworth:
… A handmaid to a nobler than herself,
When every day brought with it some new sense
Of exquisite regard for common things,
And all the earth was budding with these gifts
Of more refined humanity, thy breath,…
Wonder arises in doing what I love to do.
I read an article in “Entertainment Weekly,” which had a map of all the Superheroes in the Marvel Movie Universe in both the Disney and 20th Century Fox incarnations: “The Super-Social Network”. I immediately thought of my buddy Marc at work. Marc is the cool, athletic, Systems Engineer like me, nearly 40 years old, and superhero fan, like me. Mark is also the loving father to his young daughter Maya. Being 16 years older, I read comics from an earlier generation than Marc, more or less.
Marc thought the Superhero Map was very cool. He even made a color copy for himself. Then we spent half an hour talking about our favorite Superheroes growing up. Marc’s favorite Superhero is Spider-Man. For him, Spider-Man battles his best friends, who represent different aspects of himself. That’s awesome – the internal battle of the Hero. O-Sensei said, “True victory is victory over oneself.”
My favorite Superhero is Wolverine. Wolverine in the comics is the smaller guy, much like me. Although Wolverine is kind of a jerk who suffered the loss of those he loved, he still fights to protect those who are weaker. He fights with honor, with great passion. He fights to make a difference. Wolverine is samurai. He’s my guy.
While immersed in our conversation Marc and I were those kids again, who were in love with our Superheroes. We remembered those kids who wanted to be heroes saving the world from great evil. We now reinvent our childhood wonder with the resonance of our lives lived.
We both had emerged as good and noble men since we were kids in love with our Superheroes. And we see the possibility of being Heroes in the world, making a difference for others. Because we have so far. And will continue to do so.
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Photo credit: Pixabay