I am at a BBQ a few night's ago, sitting around talking to a few different women. None of us are long term friends but we have been brought together by the one common factor, our husbands work together. Yes it is true, my Superhero husband has a day job. Saving the world doesn't seem to pay the bills! ;)
Women have a unique ability - some might call it our super power - to figure out if they can open up and share with other women they don't know that well. I call it a sixth sense. And that is what these women were; women you could trust.
We started by making small talk and it soon evolved into a deeper conversation. There were a variety of subjects but one topic of conversation hit home. "Panic." For whatever reason, our fears began to surface. Some about ourselves but more so about our children, and the whole, "What if...", became a topic.
Judy began, "Recently, with summer here, I've been really panicky about my kids drowning. In fact the other night Jason started coughing in the middle of the night, I woke up and ran up to his room and my husband followed... I told him how I thought our son was drowning. He told me to go back to bed, he would take care of him and that I just needed some sleep." Our conversation went on from there about their fears for their children from being kidnapped to the "sex talk" to molestation to a story about some guy at Walmart that was "fondling" children standing right next to their parents. It's the world we live in and after this talk, I began to agree with my husband's ideas that someone needs to save it!
It was at this point that I told them about a program I was in in college called TRUST. It was the U Of U's Child Abuse Prevention Program. I was an actor, teacher and sort of hands on guidance counselor with the program. We toured this assembly all over Utah to elementary schools teaching children how to trust in their own feelings. A truly wonderful program that spoke to kids, because, let's face it, as adults we some how forget how to talk to our children when it comes to subjects that "panic" us. The one true message that still sticks with me today, "Trust your feelings". It is the one thing I want to pass on to all children still to this day.
Maybe all this sticks with me because I was a very panicky kid. I had huge fears that someone would kidnap my little sisters or the world was just basically going to end... Some of this panic stays with me as an adult but, as an adult, I've learned to manage it when I allow myself to trust myself and my feelings. You know what is right or wrong. You know when you have harmed someone or hurt their feelings. You know when you feel safe or when you don't, who you can trust or who you can't. It is tuning in to your feelings and allowing them at times to drive. This is what I need to share with Judy and the others. We all panic, but, like we trusted each other that night, we need to learn to trust ourselves and our own feelings.
I think sharing this message, we can all do a bit to save the world!
“So, your husband dresses up as a superhero?” the kid at the cash register said. I was paying for a Phoenix Magazine that had a feature article on Citizen Prime and another local Superhero.
“Yes, and no.” I said. “He is more about setting an example and getting others attention. He wants to put focus on the good we all can do, no matter how big or small we are. We all can make a difference.”
“But … he dresses up as a superhero, right?” the guy stated.
“Well, he got your attention.” I replied with a smile.
What an eye opening experience this has been so far. I never realized how many “freaks” are out there until Jim signed up for a “superhero existence.” Let it be known, my husband is one of them. First, there was the audition for the second season of “Who Wants to Be a Superhero.” I’ve never been around such a huge bunch of costumed mishaps. Those that know me might think I’d fit in quite nicely, but these people took it a bit too far. Mind you, I’ve been to the Comic-Con’s and they have nothing on this group.
It was along these lines that I was soon introduced to the “Reals” or “The Real Life Superheroes.” You can find them through MySpace. Some of these people actually believe they are superheroes. They patrol the streets in costumes looking to rid the world of bad. Their intentions are good, although the way they go about it may be a bit different than your everyday citizen. It was some of these heroes that helped shape who Citizen Prime has become.
When Jim didn’t make the second season of “Who Wants to Be a Superhero,” there was a depression that he struggled with. If you’ve ever been involved with anything big, such as a production of any sort there is almost an immediate sadness that you can fall into once it is over. That is what happened to my dear, sweet husband. When one spends so much time and energy to make something successful and if it doesn’t make it, or even if it does, when it’s over you are at a bit of a loss.
Once the show aired, however, we were both so glad he didn’t make it. They had a whole new production staff that took it from “fighting for the good in the world”, to Fear Factor in tights! Before, during and after all this, Jim had to continually figure out what his next step would be. He was always evolving and even through this, he knew that it wasn’t over for Citizen Prime.
It’s so interesting how Citizen Prime has gotten so much press. He was featured on Phoenix’s NBC news affiliate, and from there to Phoenix Magazine, Fox and Friends, Geraldo, and of course the National Inquirer, to name a few. People want superheroes to be real. They want to believe that there is an altruistic good in others.
I believe Citizen Prime said it best, “The Citizen Prime role has grown from single, struggling, inspirational superhero to a service centered masthead with a unique vision to change the world for the better.”
This blog is about us, the normal, average, every-day family … of a superhero. Citizen Prime. It was 2006, Citizen Prime emerged. It was the Year of the Dog – “honest, intelligent, generous, loyal, faithful and reliable, always trying to do best, helpful, renowned for justice.” And it was the “renowned for justice” trait that rang so true when it came to the creation of Citizen Prime, my husband’s quest for more to his life. And the life for us, his family.
I am married to a highly intelligent, multi tasking, I-want-to-do-everything-all-at-once, kind of guy. When he informed me that he wanted to audition for the Sci-Fi channel’s, “Who Wants’ to be a Superhero – Season II,” I was all for it. Little did I know that this was only the beginning of the next obsession in my wonderful husband’s life. I wanted to create this blog to give an insight into our lives as every day people and the extraordinary life we all can live.
Starting with the very normal … moving. We recently moved back home to Utah where we are both from, originally. This move is what I refer to as a heroic move. There was adversity, heartache, excitement, despair ... There was a moment of, “There is no way in hell all of our stuff is going to fit in the U-haul that we had rented,” which indeed, was the largest one. On top of it all, moving by ourselves, with a new baby, state-to-state – one would have to be a superhero to accomplish it all. And accomplish it, we did.
It actually started weeks prior to our actual move date. We had a very busy schedule already without the move on the horizon. One of my best friends was visiting from overseas and Citizen Prime had a few appearances scheduled for the Free Comic Book Day that happens each year. So Jim (the husband) created a tight schedule for us to follow that allotted time for each room to be packed in time for the move date. I felt we were basically on schedule … basically. So when U-Haul day came, I realized, with a panic, we needed more time. And my panic was nothing compared to my superhero husband’s. Remember the, “No way in hell …” sentence above? That was Jim about 6 hours into packing of the truck.
As a child, I came from a family of “movers”. Moving is what we did. Either because we were running from the law, creditors or eviction notices (a little exaggeration may have been used in this last statement), but basically we moved a lot . My mom has the mentality that “it will all work out in the wash.” I have adopted a bit of this lackadaisical attitude to my own life, and it is this that drives the husband, “Mad! I tell you, MAD!!!!” ;)
So for two days, Jim packed the van till one or two in the morning. He was certain we wouldn’t fit it all in (his spatial perception is far better then mine!) so the following day we headed into town to get a hitch put on our X-terra. This was needed in order for me to tow a 6 by 12 trailer with the rest of our stuff behind the XTerra and our most precious cargo, Xander, with myself at the wheel. Because it was Sunday, this process took a mere 6 hours out of our already behind schedule. Then, it was packing and loading and organizing. Then, cleaning and cleaning and cleaning. But we finally made it on the road by 1 am. A mere 15 hours behind schedule.
With my eye’s so wanting to close, but determined to get on the road and “home again,” we headed north on I-17. We drove up the mountain when suddenly the trailer behind me began to sway … and then fish tale wildly. I saw Xander’s and my life pass before my eyes. With panic in my voice, head, and heart, and hands clinched to the steering wheel, I called Jim and told him what was happening. Once again, he calmed my nerves and told me to slow down and we would stay the night in Flagstaff. The next morning we would have the trailer switched to the U-haul. Hero, he is, and always will be.
We woke up early the next day and drove forward into the rising sun together, yet apart, talking to one another all the way by “Superhero Transmitters,” (walkie-talkies). To make a longer story … a bit less long, we arrived safe and sound back home in Utah the following evening. So Citizen Prime and family now reside in Utah. Truly, our home.
Welcome to our lives. Join us again, soon. :)
