This particular post has been lingering somewhere in the back of my brain for quite some time and now here it is! First, I wear my nerd badge proudly. Harry Potter, Star Wars, DC and Marvel comics changed my life for the better. Some out there may view them as children's stories or something that someone simply made up to sell comics, books, or movies. Others may see a movie poster and think "oh, here comes another superhero movie, that looks cool". However, for the nerds out there who had their noses in books or their ear-buds in, we were never blessed with fickle magic of "cool". We were the kids who usually floated in the teenage purgatory known simply as the middle (Check out the Jimmy Eat World song "The Middle" for further explanation). Let's dig a little deeper, shall we? This is my personal expedition into nerddom. When I was little, my Dad had the original Adam West Batman on VHS. I remember watching and loving all the different characters. I also remember taking the VHS out of the VCR and putting into the tape re-winder that looked like a race car (the hood popped up to put the tape in) hoping the tape would spin backward faster so I could watch it again. My Mom even drew a little bat on the outside of tape so I always knew which one it was. That year she also made me a Batgirl costume for Halloween! This love for all things super grew as I grew up. I have fond memories of watching cartoons of The Adventures of Batman and Robin and The X-Men.
Now, meet a little 3rd grade Olivia. In the 3rd Grade, I was diagnosed with 2 learning disabilities and suddenly my school struggles came to light. Cue The Harry Potter series introduction in the United States. I suddenly found myself immersed in a story of a band of 3 friends who were lovable misfits that worked together to save their school and eventually, their world. I was introduced to the character Hermonie Granger, a bookish and clever young girl with brown wavy hair who worked side by side with the boys, but was also a true leader in her own right. Of course, I was also introduced to "the boy who lived" as well and how he had to walk through life with a lighting bolt on his forehead and a particularly large cross to bare (defeating Voldemort). My LD label was the lighting bolt scar on my forehead and I viewed Harry Potter not only as a hero, but also as friend who understood me. I saw myself in a book for the first time and when I had horrible days at school, I could always come home and escape to Hogwarts. Trust me, I would have much rather fought a giant snake in The Chamber of Secrets than take a math test and sit next to the teacher while doing so. Along with the Harry Potter days, also came the Star Wars days. I remember vividly watching Return of the Jedi and seeing a woman dressed in white with hair that resembled cinnamon buns be a total take charge, game changer badass. I am speaking of General Organa aka Princess Leia. Along with her brother Luke Skywalker, her snarky lover and Rebel Captain, Hon Solo, and one cannot forget about the loyal, furry friend, Chewbacca. I watched another band of misfit heroes save their galaxy. I remember going to see The Phantom Menace in theaters when THX sound was becoming more and more popular and the sound of pod racing literally had my sucked to my seat. Also, a double edged lightsaber blew my freakin' little mind. I was hooked. I am one with the force, the force is with me. Fast forward to my college years, I took a few history, psychology, and women's studies classes and tripped back into the DC universe. I started to scour the bookshelves in Lane Library at Ripon College wanting to know more about the thoughts and feelings of the heroes I grew up with. (I could write another post on Watchmen and Alan Moore, but that is a different day) I always deeply admired the darkness of Batman and how he took his greatest fear and made it his strength. However, there was especially one hero I wanted to know more about, her name is Diana Prince, better known as Wonder Woman. In my psychology of the media course, I did a project measuring the amount of violence in comic books. I specifically selected Superman and Wonder Woman comics to compare. I remember walking into the shop and looking at the cover art. I saw a woman with long, dark hair, a golden lasso on the side of her wide hips, thick thighs, and a pair of big red boots. She stood for truth, justice, honesty, loyalty, and compassion. I saw a fearless, thick, strong woman. I saw myself or at least, wanted to see myself. Learning more about the legacy and rich history of Wonder Woman as an American-Female icon and also the only female member of the Justice League, showed me just how important representation is. I wish I would have grown up with her more, but I discovered her when I needed her most. I certainly want my someday-daughter and/or son to grow up with that image and that starts with me being the strong, compassionate woman in their lives. And also, making sure they have some good comics to start out with. Jumping into the Marvel universe, I love concept of the X-men. Professor Charles Xavier holds a dear place in my nerdy heart. He saw the power and the true people behind the label "mutant". His character embodies what a profound leader is. Professor Charles Xavier taught me a crucial lesson, even though he is not a "real-life" teacher. It is not about what you cannot do well or what makes you different, it is your gifts, talents, and maybe those are the very same things that make you different! But, it is how you use them to better the world around you and for others that make you who you are. That is what makes you an X-Men. It is not about what you cannot do, it is what do you do better than everyone else? You are your own hero as well as for others, you just have to choose to be. I could go on so much more, but my dear reader, if you made it this far, you have truly fought valiantly to get to this paragraph and I will not drag on. If you would like to discuss more, I am always open for a cup of coffee or a cold brew to divulge more. The bottom line is, we are drawn to the stories, the films, the books, the comics, the music we like because we see pieces of our own life's puzzle within them. We see bits of ourselves and as we read or watch, we are given hope, laughs, tears, and inspiration in return. I truly look forward to the day when I sit down with my someday son and/daughter and crack open a book where the first chapter is "The Boy Who Lived" or I turn on the screen and the words that flash across are "A Long Time Ago, In a Galaxy Far, Far, Away". I hope they see a budding hero within themselves and I hope you do too.
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AuthorMy name is Olivia. I am woman, daughter, sister, friend, and counselor. I just want to put love in the world. Archives
October 2018
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