Spiderman Anonymous

The external reflections of my admiration are subtle. A red and blue toothbrush, its handle laced with white plastic webbing, stands among bottles of makeup remover by my sink. A boyish PVC and polyester wallet depicting an agile hero as he swings through the city holds a few wrinkled dollar bills and frozen yogurt stamp cards. While my bedroom walls are plastered with professional soccer players, favorite bands and actors, there is but a single image that I reflect upon most. Flanked by David Beckham and Hayden Christiansen, my true inspiration is the web-slinger himself, Spiderman.

After witnessing the death of his Uncle Ben, Peter Parker developed a mantra that “With great power comes great responsibility.” He becomes so burdened with doing the right thing that he sacrifices his physical and emotional well being for the ones he loves. Peter, with all his powers, is not invincible. He is just like the rest of us. His bones break, his skin is easily pierced, he gets tired, and he faces daunting obstacles everyday. In spite of vulnerability, he uses his abilities to bridge the gap between the suffering and their salvation, to help the helpless. In my eyes, he is the true embodiment of a hero.

While I am mostly accustomed to the...