By Karen Thompkins
Rated G
Submitted September 2006
Summary: Being the kid of Superman isn't always easy.
***
When the world looks up, they see him — the man who saves everyone, who rights wrongs, and even rescues kittens from trees. They see the big boy scout, the man in blue, who swoops in and saves the day. They see Superman.
I see more of my dad than I really want to see. I mean, the cape is cool, but does the suit really have to be that tight?
You'd think it'd be easy being the child of the greatest superhero the Earth has ever known. What people don't realize is the hardships that come with it. Most fathers, when they come to your school play, the big basketball game of the year, the soccer tournament, you know they'll be there at the end. Or even at the beginning. Dinners are interrupted by phone calls, not earthquakes in California. And he always knows what you've just hidden under the bed before he came into your room.
But my dad isn't all that bad. He tries to make it up to me and my siblings in other ways. He'll take us flying when he has time. I've seen more of the world than most of my classmates — some places that are off the beaten path, and out of the way of tourists. And despite the extras, he can be a normal father. He'll help us with our homework, give us the big talks, and play catch with us in the back yard. He'll even explain what we did wrong when we're sent to our rooms, even though Mom is the one who sent us there in the first place.
To the rest of the world, he may be Superman, but to us, he's our personal hero. He's our dad.
***
I shove the paper into my bag as the final bell rings for the day. A-. The assignment was "Pick a famous person, living or dead, and pretend that person was your parent. Explain the good points and bad points of having that person as your parent." One of those compare and contrast papers, which I normally hate. But this one was kind of fun. The teacher wrote some amusing comments on there, such as "Very insightful" and "Imaginative, good!" And I know Mom and Dad will get a kick out of it. Even though I'm sure they'll tell me I was supposed to pick someone and *pretend*.
But hey, who would ever guess that Superman is really my dad?
THE END