My hero for the longest time was Mighty Mouse, and even now, today, I do not hesitate to name him as my hero.  He was strong, could fly, and always saved the damsel in distress.  I remember Mighty Mouse first, even before Popeye, who came on and replaced my Mighty Mouse infatuation.  That is to say with the figure of a real man–a man  with a wife and a family.  He resembled, in some way, Fred Flintstone.  A sort of Fred Flintstone with supernatural power whenever there was a can of spinach.

These heroes have formed my view of men ever since.  Cute, funny, willing. able, trustworthy, dependable, and yet, man enough to command friends and armies and lead them all to success and victory.

As the summer is coming fast this year, I am thinking of giving my husband the duty to take care of our son’s birthday party.  He requested a pool party, and, I don’t see how we can say no–he has been taking swimming lessons for six years now.  So, I think it is the perfect job for my husband, as he will have to find a life guard, and enforce the rule of no eating in the pool even if it is coming from the bar-b-cue off side of the pool.  Everyone will only be allowed on the first floor of the house, and the basement–as there is an extra washroom there.

The day can be any day, because any day in the summer is a free day.  And, of course–party favors.  My son liked the loot bags at all his parties, until suddenly last year he declared loudly that only his sister would need a loot bag after his party.  He forbade me from giving out the party loot at the end.  Alas, my son is growing up!

So, of course, no more stressing over party favors.  In fact he keeps saying no and nixing any suggestions that I have.  Balloons?  No.  New Year’s Eve noise makers and inflatable tongues?  No.  Musical chairs?  NO.  Board games?  No.  Prizes–random prizes?  For like three-legged races?  No.  And no.  So, I said no to 52-pack playing cards.  No casino chips.  Only pop and fruit punch.  And freezies.  And he said he would choose the cake.  So, now, I have a shopping trip too, soon, for this fast-coming summer.

I often tell myself that this is the perfect life.  I am not sure if it is wise of me to think so, and thus behave so–making all my decisions as if everything will continue to be fine, and perfect.  Have I given up, where a hero would look and see a way to save the world?

Then again, if I see no problem, there really may be no problem.  As the saying goes, “Don’t fix what ain’t broke.”

That was the thing about my childhood heroes.  They never actually became heroes until someone or something actually became in distress.  They would then fly in , flex their muscle, and “save the day.”  It seemed that it never occurred to them that they could create a better life.  One that didn’t yet exist, but perhaps would make a better world or a better future.  I think of things like mobile phones, the internet, and minimum wages.  I think of things like music, rap, television movies, sports stadiums and immigration and vacations to foreign countries.  This is the wealth of the world I live in, and I compare it to what I know of the past, even fifty years ago.  Progress, advancement, invention, innovation, dreaming, and hoping.

So, this Father’s Day, I celebrate all the Father’s in my life, as well as all the heroes who have created a better future.