I watch ‘Superman’, ‘Batman’ and ‘Spiderman’ only because I’m a movie buff and those are big movies that a lot of people see. But they have never held a great deal of charm or interest for me because the heroes are too ‘far’ out, too cartoonish, with superhuman powers that you don’t see in real life.

Even as a youngster, while I read Superman and Batman, they weren’t as interesting as real heroes. With so many real ones around, I’ve never quite understood the fascination with those who are both fictional and also have powers that place them far outside the realm of human ability. In short, it’s very difficult to relate to those who fly, have superhuman strength and always get the girl.

But I do understand the fascination with heroes and I agree with it. We need to believe that such men and women exist, that they show leadership in times of crisis, that they show courage when others lack it, that they can be counted on to do the right thing when it is far easier to do otherwise.

Heroes are not those who leap tall buildings at a single bound, save the girl from the fiery pit and knock out the bad guys with the other hand. They are those who, for the most part, live ordinary lives, but when push comes to shove, do extraordinary things.

As for the movies and fictional heroes, here are a few: Atticus Finch, the principled southern lawyer in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ was voted the top hero in the history of the movies for defending a black man falsely accused of rape. There was also the lead character in “Shane”, a gunfighter who uses his talents on the side of those who need help; Sheriff Will Cain in “High Noon” who stands alone against a gang when he could have left town; Jefferson Smith in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” who stands up for what’s right amidst ridicule and character assassination. All are fictional characters, but come closer than Superman or Batman to being real people.

Here are ten names of real people: Audie Murphy, Alvin York, Billy Mitchell, T.E. Lawrence, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Jimmy Doolittle, Pappy Boyington, Oskar Schindler, Dick Winters and Roger Bannister. Every single one has been portrayed in a movie. Every single one has been written about in a book, some more than once. Every single one would be considered a hero by almost any definition, and yet most people couldn’t name what more than one or two are known for.

But those are ones who made history along with headlines. What of the woman who helped chase drug dealers out of her neighborhood or the man who stops a robbery? These are people who make headlines for a day and then become average citizens again. They don’t need a phone booth to change into a Superman suit. They simply need opportunity and inner courage to do the right thing when the time comes.

We need heroes and we need them badly. Some of that hero worship can certainly include Superman, Batman and Spiderman and what they stand for. But we must never lose sight of the real heroes and probably should spend a bit more of our time learning about what they have done.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

“No Ordinary Time” 1995, By Doris Kearns Goodwin

Goodwin won the Pulitzer prize for her portrait of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt during the Second World War. It is history written with an eye toward humanizing those in the middle of it.

Eleanor Roosevelt long ago retired the trophy for first ladies and FDR is a presidential giant, but Goodwin shows them as human beings with faults to go along with their great talents. She deals with many of the great decisions and controversies during that time, including the decision to intern Japanese-Americans. Her word pictures of what it was like in the White House during the worst war in history are as good as you will read anywhere. If you love history, you will find that “No Ordinary Time” is worth your time.