Comic books and superheroes have always been a part of my identity. I was always known as Bim, the guy who reads comics and plays video games. Seems pretty trivial, doesn't it? But my love for these things has actually affected me significantly, in ways deeper than my Catholic upbringing ever could.
You see, when you're teaching a child morality, you tell them what right and wrong is and how to discern between the two. To enforce it, you teach them the consequences of doing bad, just like the bible often does. My folks did that for sure. My mom used to threaten me when I misbehaved by telling me I'd be sold to the security guard at some mall or a gentleman of South Asian descent. Also, I went to Catholic school all my life. While those things did build the base of what I would later recognize as my moral compass, I was taught to do things because I don't to get in trouble. I mean, the literal punishment for sinning was eternal damnation in hell. It's leading with the stick, man. I knew bad from good but I was never inspired to be good. I was taught to be good or I'll be punished.
That is until I started reading comics. Heroes weren't heroes because they had super powers. Heroes were heroes because they did what was right despite the odds, despite the challenges, despite the opposition. Doing right for the sake of right, and not for reward or fear of punishment.
Spider-Man's moral code was the one I looked up to the most, and like him, I try to do what I consider to be the right things because they're right, not because of the fear of the implicatons of doing something wrong. Spider-Man did the right thing despite how hard it was. The right thing to do is almost always never the easy thing to do for him, and this applies to real life, as well.
Be greater.
If you know me, you'd know I was a stickler for the rules. Even for the tiny ones. That's why I don't park somewhere I shouldn't even if it inconveniences no one else and I wouldn't get into trouble for it. I don't hoard the tempura at a buffet if I happen to be at the counter by the time its refilled. I keep trash in my pocket when there are no trash cans around. Small things like that translate to bigger things, too. I'd say my moral compass points to true north almost all the time because during times of moral conflict, I literally ask myself "What would Spider-Man do?" I honest to goodness do.
The willingness to do good can never really taught to you. That has to come from your character. I was lucky, I guess. My character was molded by the lessons I picked up from the Avengers, and Spider-Man, and Daredevil, and the Fantastic Four. I guess you could say that the actual comic books I read in the late 80's and early 90's weren't by Stan's hand but the were told through his co-creations through the same spirit. He thought up characters who were flawed, like us humans are, and have challenges, like us humans do, yet still pick the right path at the end of the day. That truly inspired me as a kid.
I can honestly I wouldn't exactly be the same guy I am today if it weren't for Stan Lee's imagination.
Thank you, Jack. Thank you, Steve. Thank you, Stan.