When I was younger, I used to believe I was silly to think about us achieving world peace, living in harmony amongst one another, and the flora and fauna blossoming. With age, I began to see the true nature of the world and realized that could never be a possibility. Everyone is so angry, offended, and divided while our richer get richer and take more from hard workers. I got more angry, I didn’t want to trust anyone, and that this was the misery we would have to deal with forever. But after seeing Superman directed by James Gunn, that little girl who wanted world peace feels a little less silly.

Now I won’t spoil to much of the Superman movie, but it is a very accurate reflection of the worlds current climate. I think it shows a lot of humanity and how easy it is for the rich to control our lives. As well as showing it from a non-military point of view (I’m looking at you Marvel). And it highlights major human connections, journalism. It is so important for the people to have a voice and to pinpoint when people in power are not serving all of its citizens. It’s important for journalists to show the happenings around the world, to show the truth. Especially what we are currently seeing with the attacks on PBS and NPR.

There is a line in the movie, that is also seen in the trailer, where Superman gets interviewed by Lois Lane and he begins to get heated, that he just wanted to protect people who were going to die. I’ve nearly been brought to a sob all three times in the theater. I truly don’t understand how some people are okay with watching humans die, being starved or killed for who they were born as. Before y’all get up in here talking about “but what about murders and rapists!!” It really speaks volumes that you don’t actually care and that you quite literally have no other support to back up the claim to kill people. Also this isn’t just about one person, this is about masses of people being killed for just being born.

I know I know, “it’s fiction!” “It’s about a superhero who isn’t real!” “No one can be like that!”

But maybe that’s what the people in power want us to think. World peace and harmony is unachievable we are all too different. But shouldn’t that be the beauty of it all? That we all come from different backgrounds and landscapes. That we are all human, with the same emotions and same experiences. Anxiety, heartbreak, failure, great achievements, family, all things humans experience in their lifetime. They don’t want us to believe that we can get along because then world peace could actually become a possibility. They wouldn’t have a way to control us.

We also need to stop separating fiction from real life, where do you think authors get the ideas from? Why do you think they are able to portray it so well? Because they are experiencing it, the values and core of it all is so very real. We’ve seen it in Hunger Games, Game of Thrones, Handmaid’s Tale, Fahrenheit 451, and so much more media. It’s a tale as old as time, men with a lot of power and money will continue to take and take and it will only take the little guys to come together and have something to believe in. Believe in human writers.

When moving into the city, I developed this sort of “I’m a badass” complex, that I was all bark and all bite and I don’t care about your feelings. But as of recent, I find it to be very tiresome, I don’t want to always have my guard up and be ready for a fight. I don’t want to be confrontational unless completely necessary. If someone bump into me at the club, no problem, we’re all smooshed together it’s not personal. Use slurs and talk bad to my friends? Well know we’ve got a problem. But by using all that energy to expand this violent and angry attitude was erasing my values. Problems don’t have to be solved with violence and arguing, in fact not everyone problems needs to be solved. Maybe just left alone. At the end of the day, I would rather someone walk away with shame of how they overreacted vs having them walk away with a black eye.

I would rather look back on my life knowing I showed kindness when there is none left in the world. I am proud of the empathy I hold, I’m happy I can cry, I’m privileged to feel aches in my heart, and I’m lucky to care for the people around me.

Another important value in the Superman movie I noticed was identity. Without spoiling it, Superman pretty much goes through an identity crisis. This could not have come at a better time, because as of late I have also felt the same. I’ve felt lost, unsure of my purpose, and feeling as though I’m not myself. But what does that even mean? How do I find myself in a world of chaos and hate? But maybe it’s not about forcing yourself to find the path, that if I like this one skill I should find a career in it. Rather pick up hobbies and volunteer, finding that happiness could be with my community and just existing. I shouldn’t have to “find” and pretend to be something, but rather experience and try things. That having an aesthetic and following trends can bring burn out and cause you to get lost along the way. Portraying yourself one way to your friends or family because you’re afraid of what they might think. How does that all affect you and your identity in the long term?

If there is one thing that everyone should take from Superman, left, right, conservatives, democrat, whoever. Kindness has become punk. Love the people who share the sidewalk with you, talk with the people who shop at the same grocery store as you, protect your neighbors. Men with power and money would sacrifice you in a heartbeat if it ment they can have more of something, and I mean ALL rich men. Be kind to humans, this is all of our first time living so live it being kind.

Thank you for reading! Have a wonderful day!