Why We Need To Find Our Inner Superhero

Today a lady fainted at 8.30am in my packed train carriage.

No one looked up or paid the slightest bit of notice.

Around me I observed as a woman stared at her phone, a man was reading the bible (interesting to be reading this yet have a scenario in front of him that he totally ignored), and a variety of ladies reading the metro newspapers.

None of them seemed interested to extract themselves from their mindless tasks to observe what was in front of them.

The lady who fainted had been keeled over for a few minutes, white as a sheet and visibly sweating. She had been breathing heavily initially and then proceeded to take her jacket off. No one had looked up from what they were doing to see what was unfolding in front of them.

No one noticed,

I spoke.

Yes rare this, someone actually making conversation in a train carriage.

I asked everyone in my carriage “Do you know if this lady is ok as she looks pretty unwell?” Still most of them stayed glued to their phones and books. They seemed reluctant to respond, essentially this could mean (dare I say it) getting sucked into helping.

The gentleman sitting next to her nervously looked around the train carriage. I could see in his face he was hoping and praying that someone else would take responsibility for this, he certainly didn’t want to.

I was sitting opposite this lady and prodded her arm.

“Are you ok? I asked.

“No I’m not” She replied.

Still everyone pretended not to hear and continued to remove themselves from having to (God forbid) remove themselves from what they were doing.

I spoke to the passengers again.

“Let’s get some help at the next station, and does anyone have any water we can give her?”

Again they stayed glued to their seats. Anyone observing would have thought I was asking them to part with a wad of cash.

As we reached the next station, I got up and stepped outside to see if I could get some help.

The remaining passengers continued paralysed to their seats, I guess hoping I would do the job they were totally avoiding.

During this 8.30am trip to the city, I encountered a resistance to help, reach out and connect that has become so insidious in our society.

I believe the reason most people reach out to online goods, to consume more products, to have endless relationships is that they want to feel connected, they actually want to feel something.

Yet here was a woman clearly unwell on the train and no one bothered to reach out, to care and to extend their hand. Even though the feeling they would get out of doing this would magnify the feeling of staring at their phone or reading a newspaper full of depressing predictions.

It’s no wonder we have ‘The Pride of Britain’ awards event each year, where everyone who has done something special is given a much deserved award. These people reached out and did what others wouldn’t, they cared, they put themselves out and they valued others before themselves.

What if we could be that hero every day?

That person who reaches out when someone trips on the street, reaches out to a lonely elderly person sitting alone in a cafe or even help a woman fainting on a packed morning train.

What if we could show up in life like the Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman who we worshipped as children. They each showed up when someone was distressed or needed help.

What stops you from re-awakening the hero inside of you?

In the same way Superman used to peel of his clothes and reveal his Superman logo lying dormant inside.

What if as a society we stopped being so suspicious of others motives and simply connected, loved, supported and gave something back rather than expecting others to do so?

Imagine how much more connected we would feel as we go about our everyday life.

Instead of expecting politicians to change your world, take charge and be the change you want in the world. It might start with supporting someone you see struggling as you go about your everyday life, and it could extend to changing someone’s life.

There is no more powerful feeling than this.