After the devastation of 9/11, Americans began to seek out comfort in a myriad of ways as they felt their safety zones shrink. In the comic book industry, we saw the themes shift in response. The supernatural demons gave way to more lifelike villains, and even the heroes themselves began show kinks in their armor. We began to see that even superheroes have their Krypton. And that was okay, because that made them somewhat human and less foreign.

Nowadays, in order to be true heroes, fictional characters need to battle the evils that feel more real to us. Superman was born during the Great Depression and created an image of hope. Here was this caped crusader providing protection wherever it was needed. That hasn’t changed, but he is leaping taller and taller buildings, racing supersonic jets instead of speeding trains, and fighting evil that goes beyond one crazy enemy and his brainless henchmen. And Spiderman has a human side, evidenced in his most recent movies where you learned more about Peter Parker than his webbed alter ego. Even the villains have grown up. Heath Ledger’s Joker is a far cry from Cesar Romero’s cackling cartoon caricature.

Superheroes most often appear in comic books. Superhero stories are the dominant form of American comic books. Superheroes have also been featured in radio serials, novel, TV series, movies, and other media. Most of the superheroes who appear in other media are adapted from comics, but there are exceptions. Superheroes also make an excellent subject matter for toys and games. Action figures of heroes are a significant contributor to most boys’ toy boxes and bedroom floors. There always has to be a bad guy, usually played by an understanding mom, and a sidekick that goes by another name, dad.

Heroes are a positive influence in all our lives. While it is easy to see villains everywhere; often by simply opening the morning paper, heroes are out there too. Everyday heroes like fire, police, and EMS workers. Silent heroes that bring food to those that need it, or patrol the streets at night to help the homeless. These are the everyday superheroes. Next time you see one, imagine them in a bright red cape and blur tights, but don’t tell them you did or you’ll likely be arrested.

Think about it. If we didn’t have evil, we wouldn’t need heroes. And while that sounds like a perfect world, we all need to find a hero now and then. So, why not look in a comic book, graphic novel, or movie? Go and cheer for Indiana Jones in his golden years or the very early ones. Grab the latest Marvel comic and lose yourself in the story. Buy an action figure for a child and share stories about conquering the bad guys. Let good conquer evil. And wrap yourself in the sheer enjoyment of having a hero.

My office was behind the plate. Having played all the other positions was great, but I felt the best place to be, was catching. I could cash in on all the activity that was in front of me. I had an opportunity to shape the game. I had power in my office that I did not have anywhere else on the field except for maybe pitching. I loved that responsibility.

Seeing a batter leaning one way and then calling the pitch that I thought would get him out was one strategy I successfully used. Striking out a batter was a joint effort between the pitcher and I. I felt it was my job to study the batter and then relay any useful information I got, back to the pitcher.

My stock as a catcher increased when the pitcher pitched well. I felt I had to find the weakness in the batter. That was part of my job. And then calling the game was the essence of being a catcher.

If there was a background check on all the catchers that ever played, I think there is one thing that would be common. They all studied the game.

Johnny Bench, Roy Campanella, Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Thurman Munson, Elston Howard, and Ivan Rodriguez are a few of my catching heroes. Johnny Bench for his incredible arm and amazing power. Roy Campenella for his amazing arm and incredible power. Hey that sounds familiar. I loved all the Yankees. And Ivan – just an incredible talent.

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Author Bio
Aron Wallad has been a baseball lover for over 45 years. You will love his honesty and his passion.. You will be touched by the heartwarming stories. The unusual statistics will amaze you and the quotes will make you laugh… Sometimes. Go here right now to join his ezine www.baseballsprideandjoy.com

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Scout Oath or Promise

On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

If more people lived by this code, how much better would the world be?  The Boy Scouts of America are one of many things right in America today!