Post by Cary Friedman on Aug 7, 2008 1:18:38 GMT -5
... the website for building character through fiction:
www.characterent.com/blog/
Posted July 10th, 2008
COMIC BOOK: Batman - Drawn to Kindness
I perked up immediately when I heard the name: Leslie Thompkins. An episode of the animated Batman series was playing on TV. I was too busy with other chores to sit and watch it. Still, I kept sneaking peeks to find out what was happening.
As a boy in the 1970’s, I read what became my favorite Batman comic book story. Its message still haunts me. A sweet, elderly woman is nearly mugged as she walks through dangerous streets, but Batman chases off her attacker. Having expected his arrival, the old woman confesses that she doesn’t know why he always visits her on that night. Batman tells her it’s a reminder, “of where my life began, and where it will probably end.â€
Batman had returned to Crime Alley, the slum district where his parents were killed by a thief on that same night, when he was only a boy. Seeing the brutal murder caused him to pursue mental and physical perfection in order to fight an obsessive war against crime. But he remembers this old woman as the only person who took time to approach him after his parents’ murder, offering to help him however she could. He remembered Leslie Thompkins.
Once he grew to adulthood and established his reputation as the fearsome Batman, most criminals had no desire to cross him. If they had known his affection for Leslie, they would never have threatened her. Drawn to her kindness, Batman is relentless in protecting her.
As they walk together, he asks why she stays in Crime Alley. She confesses that she once saw a horrible tragedy: a boy whose parents were murdered in front of his eyes. Since then, she has determined to remain in this awful neighborhood to try to do some good. Batman sees that she is fighting the same war that he is, but with different weapons. Leslie Thompkins fights with gentle kindness. It’s incredible what a frail woman’s generosity can do, and how it can transform the lives of those it touches. She didn’t need superpowers or a fancy name to make a difference.
Neither do you or I. Kindness can have a more far-reaching effect than brute force.
As I hear the cartoon end, Leslie Thompkins says of Crime Alley, “Good people lived here once.†Batman answers, “Good people still live in Crime Alley.â€
Learn how you can be a hero like Batman or Leslie Thompkins, without donning a cape! Read Wisdom from the Batcave: How to Live a Super, Heroic Life by Cary A. Friedman at amazon.com! Friedman, a Jewish Rabbi, has served as chaplain at the Federal Correction Institute in Butner, NC, and as a spirituality consultant to the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit in Quantico, VA. In easy-to-read chapters, he offers enlightening advice on how to be a hero at home, recognizing the value of family support, inspiring others, and holding to absolute moral values.
Thank you, Randall!
-- Cary
www.characterent.com/blog/
Posted July 10th, 2008
COMIC BOOK: Batman - Drawn to Kindness
I perked up immediately when I heard the name: Leslie Thompkins. An episode of the animated Batman series was playing on TV. I was too busy with other chores to sit and watch it. Still, I kept sneaking peeks to find out what was happening.
As a boy in the 1970’s, I read what became my favorite Batman comic book story. Its message still haunts me. A sweet, elderly woman is nearly mugged as she walks through dangerous streets, but Batman chases off her attacker. Having expected his arrival, the old woman confesses that she doesn’t know why he always visits her on that night. Batman tells her it’s a reminder, “of where my life began, and where it will probably end.â€
Batman had returned to Crime Alley, the slum district where his parents were killed by a thief on that same night, when he was only a boy. Seeing the brutal murder caused him to pursue mental and physical perfection in order to fight an obsessive war against crime. But he remembers this old woman as the only person who took time to approach him after his parents’ murder, offering to help him however she could. He remembered Leslie Thompkins.
Once he grew to adulthood and established his reputation as the fearsome Batman, most criminals had no desire to cross him. If they had known his affection for Leslie, they would never have threatened her. Drawn to her kindness, Batman is relentless in protecting her.
As they walk together, he asks why she stays in Crime Alley. She confesses that she once saw a horrible tragedy: a boy whose parents were murdered in front of his eyes. Since then, she has determined to remain in this awful neighborhood to try to do some good. Batman sees that she is fighting the same war that he is, but with different weapons. Leslie Thompkins fights with gentle kindness. It’s incredible what a frail woman’s generosity can do, and how it can transform the lives of those it touches. She didn’t need superpowers or a fancy name to make a difference.
Neither do you or I. Kindness can have a more far-reaching effect than brute force.
As I hear the cartoon end, Leslie Thompkins says of Crime Alley, “Good people lived here once.†Batman answers, “Good people still live in Crime Alley.â€
Learn how you can be a hero like Batman or Leslie Thompkins, without donning a cape! Read Wisdom from the Batcave: How to Live a Super, Heroic Life by Cary A. Friedman at amazon.com! Friedman, a Jewish Rabbi, has served as chaplain at the Federal Correction Institute in Butner, NC, and as a spirituality consultant to the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit in Quantico, VA. In easy-to-read chapters, he offers enlightening advice on how to be a hero at home, recognizing the value of family support, inspiring others, and holding to absolute moral values.
* * *
Thank you, Randall!
-- Cary