I’ll admit it, I’m a closet superhero freak and it was all too apparent when I bought the early bird tickets to the latest Wolverine movie and stood in line for almost two hours to get the best seats. I’d like to say it’s because I grew up with four older brothers; they’re the reason I’m obsessed with the Spiderman’s and Batman’s of the world…but regardless, in line with all the other X-Men groupies, stood a 5’10, long blond haired, smiling tomboy eager to be let into the theater.

But, honestly, what is it that we love about superheroes anyway? When you think about Michelle Pfeiffer as Cat Woman, old-school Wonder Woman played by Lynda Carter, Halle Berry as Storm, Jennifer Gardner as Elektra, Jessica Alba dressed up as Sue Storm in Fantastic Four and, the ultimate, Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, you can’t tell me you don’t think they’re rock stars. I’d give my left pinky to be any of them for a day, so what is it about them that makes them so incredible?

Honestly, I think we as humans know our limitations and love to fantasize about a world in which we can fly, read people’s minds, become invisible or beat up a guy who’s ten times our size in a perfectly choreographed fight scene. We want to be bad asses at heart, at least I do. For most people, our biggest fear is being ordinary, mediocre, or Simon Cowell’s biggest insult, “forgettable.”

However, my greatest epiphany recently was that we DO get to be superheroes and we DO get to have super powers, if we so choose. Now maybe they aren’t the cliché super human strength, the ability to move at the speed of light, or invisibility cloaks, but they are equally powerful. This lifetime is never about wishing for something you don’t have, but rather seeing what tools you can find to stick in your belt along the way.

For me, I realized that my life experiences have gifted me with incredible opportunities to pick up priceless tools: the work ethic I gained in grad school, the faith I gained when I lost a dear friend in car accident, the resilience I gained hiking Everest, the determination I gained on Survivor, the compassion I gained in working with underprivileged girls in Cambodia, and the appreciation I gained after witnessing poverty in Brazil. You see, in the real world, the intangibles we gain along our journey are where the real power hides.

I think with every experience we have, there is this opportunity to pick up another gift, another shade of color we can add to our pallet and another tool for our life’s tool belt. Regardless of the situation, whether happy or sad, terrifying of joyfully overflowing there is a kernel of truth that awaits you. In order to best navigate through the jungle of life, it’s in our best interest to gather as many things as possible to help  along the journey.

I may not be able to make things move with my mind, but I confidently know I have the work ethic to build a powerful company; I may never be able to fly, but I know I have the compassion to inspire a young girl to dream big; and Lord knows I’ll never read minds (though with the last guy I had a crush on it would have been uber helpful), but I know I have the resilience to pursue my passion in the face of adversity.

We all have the potential to be superheroes, to leave this world better than we found it, to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves and to be extraordinary, magnificent and truly unforgettable. Now, all we have to do is a get a costume, slap on a mask, and I have no doubt we’d give Cat Woman and the other hero babes a run for their money.

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1. G20 SUMMIT – OBAMA SAYS LETS STAY TOGETHER- SCOTLAND
In a pre-emptive speech, President Obama called for all the countries attending the G20 summit in April to adopt a cohesive plan to curb the current financial crisis. While most European countries are calling for more regulation and oversight, the U.S. is lobbying for more financial stimulus. The G20 summit is a group of the world’s most powerful economic countries, including powerhouses such as Germany and U.S. as well as emerging economic powerhouses such as Brazil and China.
Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7921385.stm

2. DUECE BIGALO SWISS GIGOLO – SWITZERLAND
A Swiss man has been jailed for six years after trying to defraud Susanne Klatten (Germany’s Richest Woman and BMW Heiress). He extracted 7 million euros and then proceeded to blackmail her, claiming to possess a tape of her having sex with him in a hotel room.
Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7931925.stm

3. ARMS RACE IN MEXICO- MEXICO’S DRUG WARS
For the past year and a half, drug cartels have been organizing themselves into powerful paramilitary forces, acquiring military grade weapons, including hand grenades, grenade launchers, armor-piercing ammunition and antitank rockets. A consultant for the Mexican mililitary says, “One group gets rocket propelled grenades and the other group has to have them.” The drug cartels appear to be taking advantage of a robust global black market and the porous borders in Central America. Some of the weapons are left over from wars the U.S. helped fight in Central America.
Read more at http://projects.latimes.com/mexico-drug-war/#/its-a-war

4. INDIA BUILDS WORLD’S CHEAPEST CAR
Indian motor company, TATA, has unveiled the world’s cheapest car in order to provide safe and affordable transportation to those who would normally not be able to afford to buy a car. The Nano starts at $2,000 but has not yet been released for purchase.
Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7957671.stm

5. THE DALAI LAMA IS DENIED A VISA – SOUTH AFRICA
The Dalai Lama was denied a visa in order to attend a peace conference linked to the 2010 World Cup being hosted in South Africa. Archbishop Desmond Tutu said that he will boycott the conference if his fellow Noble Peace Prize winner is denied entry into the country. Many believe it is due to China’s pressure, China being South Africa’s largest trading partner.
Read more at http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/03/23/south.africa.dalai.lama.visa/index.html

6. KARZAI ISN’T DELIVERING – AFGHANISTAN
A report by British newspaper The Guardian claims the White House and European governments involved with the U.S. efforts in Afghanistan will plant a new head of the country to challenge the corrupt and incompetent government in Kabul. The figure will be a direct challenge to current Afghan president Hamid Karzai.
Read more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/22/us-afghan-plan-to-bypass-karzai

7. CLINTON PLAYS COY ABOUT IRAN
In a press conference, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton played coy with reporters when discussing meeting with Iranian delegates at a conference in Afghanistan. She called this conference an opening for Iranian delegates to come forward and play a positive role in the stability of their neighbor, Afghanistan. This marks a huge policy change for Washington since the Bush administration had a staunch unwillingness to negotiate with Iran.
Read more at http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/30/clinton.iran/index.html

photo by rob veo

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I always thought I would change the world. Traveling to Salvador, Brazil to work in an orphanage in 2005 seemed like a great place to start.

I spent the first month feeling like a hero at Vo Flor Orphanage. The kids were ecstatic to see me and their smiles encouraged me. I always went home exhausted and slept soundly feeling satisfied I had made a difference.

For weeks I had been so distracted by the playful kids, I was unaware of the conditions they were living in. I began to see the lack of food, shoes, and beds and to recognize the abundance of filth, illness, injury, and cockroaches. One evening, a friend and I took a taxi to the orphanage to surprise the children before bed.

Toddlers were crammed sideways in single beds, their arms and legs sprawled over one another. When I wiped the sweat-beaded forehead of one of the boys, I noticed a trail of ants marching across his bare mattress. An older boy sat wheezing heavily in a corner and we realized he needed medical attention even though the owners of the orphanage insisted he was fine. Watching his bony chest heave and his eyes roll back, we carried him out unnoticed and took him to the hospital. Waiting in the emergency room (three concrete benches covered by a dilapidated awning), we watched two men casually unload a body from the trunk of a car onto a stretcher.

We took the boy home with us and he slept soundly after being treated for severe asthma. He slept in a clean bed and when he showered the next morning, screamed in surprised delight at the hot water.

When I left Brazil, I felt powerless and completely jaded. Back in the U.S., I sunk into a depression. I stopped watching the news and caring about politics. I gave up on visions of myself in the Peace Corps and on a fight I had barely started.

In late 2008, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my creative writing career. Searching for freelance writing jobs, I came across a posting for a site touting itself as an empowering women’s webzine out to change the world. Perusing the site, I realized the ladies behind it were no joke. They were actually DOING — drawing attention to world issues and making girls aware of the power within themselves to stir awareness and make a difference.

Desperate to write for iamthatgirl.com, I went to the office party to introduce myself and meet everyone. By the time I left, I felt like a part of myself I had lost years ago hadn’t been lost after all but rather temporarily misplaced.

That night, I remembered tending Caiu’s burn, rocking Alessandro to sleep, combing Rosalee’s hair. I thought about how a single moment of grace a billion times over could really add up. Of all the places in the world, I never imagined that Hollywood would be the city to rekindle my humanitarian spirit.

photo by laura platino

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