Happy Birthday Superman!
This week in history, Superman made his first appearance in D.C. Comics’ Action Comic Series, issue #1 (which sold for 10 cents per copy) on June 1, 1938.
I’m not really a big comic or Superman fan, but knowing this information about the birth of Superman got me thinking about female superheroes. The first female with superhuman superpowers didn’t grace the pages of comic books until the 1940’s, with Fantomah, Mystery Woman of the Jungle and Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.
Women were not seen as superheroes. They were usually given one of three roles: The blonde beauty, the victim or the villain.
Before this, women were usually given one of three roles in comic book series: The blonde beauty, the victim or the villain. The influence of media and entertainment on gender roles and gender biases has a long history and reach.
Merriam-Webster defines a “superhero” as a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers, also: an exceptionally skillful or successful person. A person defined by their unique characteristics; brave and self-sacrificing.
This definition reminded me of true superhumans and superheroes. Real, not fictional, superwomen and we get to associate with them on a daily basis.
Not meaning any disrespect or to diminish Superman’s “special day”, but I want to take a look at some of the characteristics of real-life superwomen:
Characteristics of superwomen:
A woman with superhuman “powers”; a woman who performs well in a variety of demanding roles, often simultaneously.
A mother of children who works full time, goes to school part time and volunteers for a local charity while caring for her home and family.
A woman who manages all the responsibilities of multiple full-time roles, IE: wage earner, student, volunteer, mother, and wife.
A woman who is authentic and honest with herself.
Someone who understands she can do anything she wants, but not everything.
Someone who understands the difference between being kind and being passive.
A woman who is resourceful and works through her obstacles and barriers even though she’s sometimes tempted to give up.
Someone who accepts that she cannot change the past, but that she is in control of her future.
Someone who is aware that she can’t control others. She knows she can only control herself and the decisions she makes.
We as women wipe butts, noses and tears. We go to meetings, and dentist and doctor appointments. We get cars fixed, buy groceries and drop off the cleaning. We register the kids for sports teams, music lessons and dance and then make sure they get to all their games and practices. We shovel driveways, mow lawns, and make beds. We do science projects and bake sales. We avert disasters, navigate challenges and solve problems. We cook, clean and work both in and out of the home.
We worry, we stress, we balance budgets. We are available for friends, family and sometimes even strangers. We fight for what’s important, and we stand for things we believe in.
No superhero - no matter what his special powers - can do all of the above. But somehow, women can and do. Without superpowers, six-pack abs, or a sarcastic sidekick, women do this and more, every day.
So, sorry Superman. I might have hijacked your birthday a little. I just thought it was more important to celebrate the real heroes out there. The ones saving the world one kid, kiss, shift, class, job and family at a time.
“I wasn’t extraordinary. I just crossed the line to become something bigger. We all have it in us to become something bigger.” Anonymous Superwoman
Who are the superwomen in your life? Take time today to thank them for turning the ordinary into something extraordinary.
#superwomen #superhero #youareextraordinary #happybirthdaysuperman #loveshouldnthurt