Yesterday, we crossed the river into Illinois to visit the little town of Metropolis. 

Now, from what I can tell, this town only has two things going for it:

1) A casino, which attracts old people, money and pawn shops.

And

2) The name Metropolis, which just happens to be the name of the fictional city that Superman lived in.

Now Metropolis, is no METROPOLIS, but they have milked this thing for all it’s worth.  They have a superman museum.  The newspaper is called the Daily Planet and in the center of their town square they have erected a 15 foot tall statue of the Man of Steel himself.

This is the entirety of the city’s marketing plan.  There are billboards with superman on them welcoming you to town.  The Chamber of Commerce website is bedecked completely in Superman’s colors and insignia.  And while I don’t think the court house is called the Hall of Justice, it probably should be.

http://www.metropolischamber.com/

This town has embraced Superman as much as a small dying river town along the banks of the Ohio River possibly could.  And I’ve got to say, I think that’s great.   I mean who doesn’t love Superman?

Is there any boy in America who didn’t, at some point in their childhood, tie a blanket around their neck and run through the yard, arms outstretched, flying?

I know I did.

In fact, my parents have at least one photo of me where I came straight from the bath, towel tied around my neck and am striking the classic superman pose – hands on hip, chest out, chin tilted upwards as I look toward the American flag and freedom – and I am wearing absolutely nothing else.

My grandmother was kind enough to crop this photo at the waist, my parents not so much.  Thus proving, that when a four year old comes straight from the bath, not everything is so super.

Growing up I had several superman capes (they kept getting lost on adventures).  I also had superman under-roos which I occasionally insisted on wearing on the outside of my pants just like Superman did.  I remember birthday cakes with Superman on them and endless afternoons, swooping around our backyard, and leaping off the swingset so that, even for the briefest moment, I could fly.

My biggest regret about visiting Metropolis yesterday is that we had just missed the Superman festival.  Every year the city hosts a 4 day festival dedicated to Superman.  They bring in actors who have played Superman and Lois Lane over the years and tons of people from all over the world show up in costume to celebrate the man from Krypton.

This video gives a wonderful sense of what we all missed by not being there this past weekend:

I love the shots of middle aged, saggy men decked out in their man of steel costumes, looking as if their pectoral muscles all sunk and gathered around their belly.

I also love the interviews where they bring out someone who looks like a spitting image of Superman, curly q hair on his forehead and all, and then he opens his mouth and talks in this sweet lilting Southern drawl.  It’s like the Superfriends relocated the Hall of Justice to Tuscaloosa.

It was also wonderful to see the video ramp up the tension and excitement as the festival tried to set the Guinness book of World Records for “most people dressed as Superman.”  Oh my!  Would they or wouldn’t they?  It was unbearable to wait…. Until….. Yes!  With 122 Supermans, YES!  They set the record!  Woo Hoo!

Really?

122?

I hate to take this away from them, because, I don’t think they have all that much going on, but I’m awfully inclined to get Audra’s elementary school to design costumes out of grocery bags and set a new world record. 

It’s clearly not that hard.

But regardless, I salute Metropolis for taking what they’ve got and making it work for them. 

And even now, as an adult, there is something about Superman that still makes me feel that excitement I felt as a little boy running around my yard.  As you get older and the world seems to get darker, it’s nice to have this man in the blue spandex and red cape to put a little faith in

Someone with superpowers, but who only uses them for Truth, Justice and the American Way. 

So, of course, we all went and got our picture taken with the giant superman statue in Metropolis.  All the kids struck the classic superman pose (although my wife pointed out that Asher looked more like he was doing the chicken dance).

And after we all had our picture taken we went over to the gift store and my mom bought each of the kids a superman shirt and a cape.

I am pleased to say that my three-year-old, Asher, has been running around all morning wearing the cape even insisting on wearing it when we went to get coffee this morning and went shopping later – much to the amusement of every senior citizen we have come in contact with.

It is a testimony to the endurance of Superman that a $10 red cape with an S on the back can bring as much joy, imagination, and play as any $300 X-box and a whole case of games.

Sure, it’s fun to play video games and pretend you’re a soldier or a spy, or a small yellow circle that eats dots and gets chased by ghosts, but nothing can really compare with putting on a cape and pretending that you are the man of steel – that you can run faster than a speeding bullet, that you can leap tall buildings in a single bound and that you, alone, can save the world. 

What could possibly compete with that?

Now, I just need to get my camera ready next time he takes a bath.