Our Inner Batman

The door less window and the window less door

In a room nearby, a proper boy sits and dreams of the day that he will see the outside.

With four walls surrounding and a door less window above, the boy lies down and is encompassed by this imagined love.

Some clouds form just elegant swirls while others are in the shapes of all the pretty girls.

The clarity of the blue sky accents this special view and perfect frame, until the boy remembers it, causing the giddy dream to fade away.

Looking to his left he sees the one door, the only thing here he detests and abhors.

Up above, his perspective is clear and pure, but waiting behind that window less door he is anything but sure.

“What if a monstrous troll waits for me there?  One with a big nose, big hands, and nasty, slimy hair.”

His imagination continues to infest the thoughts in his head as he frets over vampires and werewolves and of the living dead.

“The window provides sunlight and clouds,” he justifies to himself.  “But not grass and wind,” a girl says who has appeared on a random shelf.

Bewildered by the sudden appearance and her cute demeanor, he is captivated and can’t help but fancy her.

“You know I’m right,” she says to him with one of the most innocent and beautiful grins.

Remembering his paradox and blinking his eyes twice, he tries to be direct and yet charming and nice.

“But behind that door, nobody knows what awaits.  There could be your doom and my tragic fate.”

Shaking her head, she hops from off of the shelf to pace back and forth.  “Have it your way then.  Just stay here and be a coward and proper dork.”

She throws the door open and is out before you can say ‘quick-n-slight’.  The boy tries to peer outside but is only blinded by the bright, white light.

He waits to see if a vampire or ghoul appears.  Instead he hears shouts and screams and even cheers.

Shrugging his shoulders he asks, “What the hell?” as he steps forward thinking all is well.

-Mikey D. B.-

I want to tell you of an experience I had about a year ago, and I’m sorry mom if it scares you.  Just know that it has a happy ending.  Last summer, I and some of my friends took a trip up into a canyon.  It was late, midnight or so, but we went up to a park to star gaze and sing kumbaya like the hippies do.  A few days prior to this day, some drama between a guy and a girl in our group of friends occurred.  For storytelling sakes, we’ll call the guy Eric and the girl Jill.  Obviously, there is really only one type of drama that exists between a guy and girl in college.  It’s silly, but yes, that drama is love.  To make a long story short, Jill broke up with Eric because she didn’t like his personality anymore and naturally, Eric didn’t like that reasoning.  Now keep in mind, Eric played rugby and was not a small guy.  He was solid.  He was athletic in almost every aspect and could take a beating.  To top it all off, he had charm and girls skills that caught Jill’s attention when they first met.  He was a muscular Abercrombie & Fitch model.

Okay, fast forward back into the story.  Jill was in our kumbaya group and people were thinking about asking Eric to join us, but because of the potential for drama, nobody did.  So we were sitting in the canyon, enjoying life, when we saw this massive Eric-like figure walking around the park and lo and behold, it was Eric.  We were a bit surprised and nervous that he found us, but we decided to invite him over anyway.  When he joined our group, immediately, I had this uncomfortable and uneasy feeling.  He was cordial at first, but that quickly changed.  He felt betrayed and hurt and I wouldn’t have been surprised if he turned green and started shouting “ERIC ANGRY!”  He started throwing punches all over the place.  He pushed people aside trying to get to those he felt betrayed him the most.  He tackled one of my friends to the ground and I myself got popped in the jaw when I pulled Eric off of my friend.  Eric was out of control, and if it wasn’t for some heavy persuasion, blood literally could’ve been spilt that night. 

We were all a little freaked out, even more so when we found out that a gun and some blades almost got involved in this confrontation.  The drive back to our apartments was a long, quiet one.  All the while, I couldn’t help but feeling like a coward because of the fear I felt about what just happened.  My jaw was sore.  I was disappointed in myself for shaking from the adrenaline that surged through my veins and don’t laugh, but I remember thinking that Batman never would’ve felt like this.  After all, super heroes never feel fear.  When talking to my friend about it afterwards, he told me something that I never will forget.  He said, “It’s okay to feel fear.  That doesn’t mean we’re a coward.  It’s how we react when feeling that fear that determines our bravery.”  In the end, Batman did in fact feel fear, but fought against it and eventually harnessed it, which in turn, made him stronger.         

In light of this past Independence Day, naturally, it caused me to ponder on the significance of the events that took place that day, 236 years ago.  Surely the founding fathers had their fears, their doubts that made them question from time to time as to whether or not the cause they were pursuing was just.  Surely the patriots of that time quivered at the sight and sound of the Royal British Army making advances on the battle fields.  Surely people were tempted to abandon the cause of liberty and their people from the overwhelming emotion of fear encompassing them during this time of revolution.  But I ask you, did they cave in?  Did they abandon their cause?  Did those icons before us hold themselves back because of the unknown future that was in front of them?  No, they did not.  They endured and they rose above those fears and doubts that I’m sure they felt constantly.

I can only imagine the emotions Martin Luther King Jr. felt when pursuing his cause and demanding equality for him and his people.  Yes, we see and read about his courageous and bold actions.  From his I had a Dream speech to his Letter from Birmingham Jail, we are moved by his charisma and bravery, but honestly, anyone pursuing a cause with as great a caliber as he or the founding fathers, will feel anxiety and fear.  That’s not what’s important; it’s what you do when facing such an opposition.  All who live to see times of despair, trial, and sorrow wish that they weren’t around for them, but as Gandalf told Frodo, “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide.  All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us.”  (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring).

“There is a war going on for your mind” (The Flobots: Fight with Tools).  We live in a world where the bells of Hell ring in our ears every time we seek to do good, but I like what Brigham Young said when hearing the complaints about those very bells: “I want to hear them ring again” (Brigham Young JD 8:355-356).  Desire is where it all starts.  What is your motivation to face that windowless door?  Is it a girl?  Is it your family or friends?  Is it yourself?  In my opinion, whatever it is that makes you face your fears can’t be bad, for fears only hold us back from truly excelling in our potential to make a difference.  If we just stay back, not entering into the unknown, we confine ourselves to a room with a finite, door less perspective.  In the werds of Anthony Hopkins: “You don’t live if you never try” (film: Meet Joe Black).