Spiderman

The very first thing I wanted to do when I was approached with a request to make 30 cookies was hum the tune: "Spiderman, Spiderman... Does whatever a spider can... Spins a web any size... Catches thieves just like flies... Watch out, here comes the Spiderman!"

There is something catchy about the tune and of all the Marvel comic superheroes Spiderman is by far the most popular. And why not? Wouldn't you like to leap and swing at will from tall structures hanging by a thread and catch the bad guys? Wouldn't you like to spin a web on top of really tall buildings and use it like a hammock? I would! The cartoon series of the 60's is still creating magic on silver screens and televisions. You've got to ponder why...Is it because every one of us wants to be a superhero of some sort? To fight evil and be invincible?  When I looked deeper into the characters I realized that there was a lot to learn beyond the swinging, leaping and cool tunes.  I learnt that (i) all the alter egos of these superheroes were ordinary people struggling with various facets of everyday life (ii) when the going got tough, each of them rose to the challenge and got going (iii) it's okay to fail at times but not okay to give up (iv) doing the right thing does matter in the end and finally the most valuable lesson learnt (v) spandex rocks!  There are two questions left in my mind: 1) do our taxes cover the municipal charges for cleaning up all those spider webs this guy leaves behind?  And 2) why can't someone tell Superman that the 'under'wear is called just that for a reason and should not be worn on top of his suit...

Here's wishing the super boy a very happy birthday and hope he has a swinging party.