With my reverence for superheros, I’ve had a tendency to put the folks that I respect on pedestals- thinking that they must be wiser, stronger, or more competent than I. Sadly, once they’re up there, there’s nowhere to go but down.
It’s both an amazing & heartbreaking lesson when you realize that 1) you might be their equal and 2) they’re just as insecure, afraid, incompetent, etc. as you. The best Superheros succeed because they recover from failure (& then kick ass) – not because they were invincible, enigmatic, or indestructible.
It’s my biggest reflection of the year – that in placing people on a pedestal, I keep them from seeing the real me. And, in always staring upwards, I make it impossible for me to really see them.
