Building Something Better...

"This is all it takes, really. Two hands clasped in fellowship, pledging to build something better." - PROFESSOR X

CS CHALLENGE:
Recently, I took it upon myself to start cleaning out these two storm drains in my community (where I live, there happens to be some kind of unwritten weekly tradition where my neighbors and passers-through like to put all of their trash in the nearest storm drain.  Ugh.)  When it would rain, the storm drains would be too clogged to do what they were supposed to do.  After multiple flooding in the streets, I kind of had enough.  

So, I went out one day to get down and dirty and collect the garbage from the drains.  In the back of my mind, I was a bit worried about how I would be perceived if one of my neighbors saw me.  And just as I was elbow-deep in the storm drain and had nearly filled my second bag of trash, I heard a voice from behind me, "Hey, what are you doing?!"  Immediately, I got to my knees and turned around.  Across the street, staring in my direction was one of my neighbors.  We had never been very friendly before and I was under the impression that he didn't take too kindly to having me in the neighborhood.  "Hey," I answered back somewhat timidly.  "Hey, why are you doing that?" he said again.  "Uh, the drains were flooding because of all the trash," I said a bit nervously.  "Oh," he reacted, "I didn't realize that was what was causing the flooding.  I thought we just had old drains."  Then, as I knelt there, unsure of what would happen next, my neighbor reached down and picked up a plastic bottle laying nearby in the gutter.  He walked over to me and put the bottle in one of my trash bags and extended a big open hand. "Hey, thanks.  I'm Big Mike, by the way."

This is all it takes, really...

Citizen Superhero

Entry: Smile Power!

So, I've decided that it is high time for me to start sharing my own Citizen Superhero adventures with you all.  The problem is choosing where to begin.  I learned very early in my life as a teacher that modeling for others and living my practice (not just teaching about it) are the most essential things I could implement on a daily basis.  So, perhaps, the best place to start my first personal entry is with a smile.

When I moved to Washington DC in 2007 (while still making my daily commute to my teaching gig in Maryland), it was the first time I had lived in a new place, let alone a city (I grew up in NYC) in a while.  I found the new environment to be somewhat disorienting- the faster pace, the noise, the people, and, of course, the politics.  I felt prejudices start to bubble up to the surface for me- some I never had experienced before and others I thought I had dealt with long ago through living a more "conscious lifestyle" and teaching children about being open-minded and kind.  Well, I quickly realized that I was becoming that person I had worked so hard to overcome.  In a place where everything is much closer together and people are walking everywhere, instead of driving, these feelings of fear and intolerance were certainly palpable. 

I decided I shouldn't drive myself nuts over it.  After all, wasn't it enough that I was conscious and aware of how I was feeling and reacting to my surroundings?!  It was good, perhaps, but not enough.  I needed to act, to be an agent of change for myself.  So, I thought I would start small.  Each day, I would walk in my neighborhood as much as possible- walk to the store, walk to the coffee shop, walk to my car to drive to work (parking was pretty bad, so sometimes I had to park blocks away from my house), walk to a restaurant (anyway, you get the point)- and say hello to every person that I passed on the street.  If they looked my way, I would also greet them with a big smile.  

Simple, I know.  Was it daring?  Perhaps not in general (but it was hard in the beginning for me.)  Was it worth it?  Completely!  In all honesty, friendly responses became suddenly abundant.  This new act became a personal mission of mine.  It was like I had opened up a friendly neighborhood floodgate of teeth that were just begging to be shown!  The smiles, the hellos, the random conversations and complements that ensued were unlike anything I had ever experienced before.   The pure strength in just acknowledging someone with kindness was overwhelming.  I also discovered that a smile and "hello" have the potential to disarm negative behaviors or intentions that someone else may have.  It seems to catch them off guard, as if they had been grappling with the very same prejudices that I had and somehow expected me to act in an entirely different way towards them.  Interestingly enough, I found that the best times to use my "smile power" were the very moments when my own prejudices were the most present and I felt the least safe.  To date, this is something I do wherever I go and the payoff is HUGE.  

Disclaimer:  Now, I am certainly not saying for someone to be reckless.  Our gut reactions for feeling unsafe deserve proper acknowledgement and care.  Certainly listen to yourself and trust your intuition but challenge your fear.  Ask yourself why is it there in the first place?  Prejudices, though at times deeply rooted for some, hold very little practical value.  Remember, often people just need a reason, an invitation to be kind.

Be safe, be aware and don't forget to smile :)

Citizen Superhero

Superhero Wisdom of the Week

"Don't you ever get tired of being bullied? Of being hated just because you're different? ...It's time we stop being victims. It's time we unite."  - DOMINO

Superhero Wisdom of the Week

"Stand as a symbol of diversity, unity and tolerance." - DAWNSTAR

CS: Celebrating Black Superheroes

 

In honor of Black History Month (and every month), here are some links and resources to pay homage to some black comic book superheroes and creators that have spanned the generations and had a tremendous influence on their readers and citizens everywhere.  

As Citizen Superheroes, we must take every opportunity to acknowledge our history and our influences.  It is imperative that, in order to grow stronger and hone our powers, we make constant efforts to recognize our prejudices and break them down one by one.  It is isn't easy and that is precisely why it's so important!

ARTICLES:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com
http://www.ecbacc.com/content/?q=node/36 
http://www.washingtonpost.com (Story about blind comics artist/writer Andre Campbell)
SITES & BLOGS
http://www.blacksuperhero.com/
www.bamkapow.com (The 15 Greatest Black Superheroes of All-time)
http://www.blacksuperherofan.com/
http://heritagehsq.tripod.com (Andre Campbell's company, Heritage Comics)
www.bvblackspin.com (25 Great Black Superheroes)
http://www.vibe.com/photo-galleries/black-superheroes/0 (Picture Gallery)

Superhero Wisdom of the Week

"We live in an age of darkness. A world full of fear, hate and intolerance. But in every age, there are those who fight against it. Wherever we may go, we must carry on…a vision of a world united." - STORM

Superhero Wisdom of the Week

"Who I am...that's the only thing that matters. The rest are just labels." -SHADOWCAT

Superhero Wisdom of the Week:

"Value the character of my heart, not my appearance." - NIGHTCRAWLER

Superhero Wisdom of the Week:

"LACK OF UNDERSTANDING LEADS TO FEAR." - MR. FANTASTIC

Superhero Wisdom of the Week:

"MOST PEOPLE WILL NEVER KNOW ANYTHING BEYOND WHAT THEY SEE WITH THEIR OWN TWO EYES." -Nightcrawler