Up, Up and Away... The Five Superpowers Write-Off Jan 27 '01 (Updated Jan 31 '01)    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet Popular Products in Books Irene Hunt - The Lottery Rose: A Novel From $6 John Steinbeck - East Of Eden From $7 The Bottom Line Read the other participants, they're all wonderful writers. It's Saturday today here in the San Francisco Bay Area. The sun is shining and there's a gentle bite to the breeze as it slides past my face. I'm out for a walk with my family - my not yet ten-year old son who's a handful right now. He's full of independent thoughts and an intense desire to be his own person - free from the restrictions that I as a parent am forced to place on him. My not yet one year old daughter, who has just learned to crawl and is equally a handful, though in a very different way. She's on her own path to discovering her independence - independence of motion. And my age not to be mentioned wife, a stay at home mum with dreams of independence of her own too. Dreams of college, dreams of work. We're all filled with dreams and hopes and desires, but this is a write-off about gifts. Or more specifically, the Superpowers Write-off, where I detail the five superpowers I'd like to have. There are quite a few talented writers participating in this write-off, and I'd encourage you to read their work too. My wife has been saying to me for a few weeks now, "Are you going to sit down and write that Epinion?" This is my first write-off, and as such, and considering the talented writers participating, particularly our most talented hostess, Kellydeal, I felt just a little intimidated. You see, I'm a procrastinator of the highest order. Coupled with that, I'm a very spontaneous person. Things tend to pile up around me, waiting to be done when suddenly, the mood strikes, and "SHAZAM!" it all gets done in a fit of desperate energy. So again I say, it's Saturday here in the Bay Area, and the write-off is due today. I've put it off and put it off and put it off until finally, it must be done. Well, inspiration has finally struck, and here are the five superpowers I'd like to have. I love walking with my family. I've done a bit of traveling, and no matter how many beautiful places I've been to, nothing compares to the Bay Area. My daughter is asleep in her stroller, my wife is at my side, and our son has wandered off into the distance, examining and climbing and shouting and being his usual rambunctious self. Looking around me, I wish that I could do this every day. My wife has often told me that she thinks I would make a good stay at home dad, and I think I would. I enjoy cooking and taking care of my children, and while I don't really like laundry and cleaning, I suppose I could get used to it if I could spend each day with my family. As my first superpower, I would be CLONEMAN, able to duplicate himself so that he can be in more than one place at a time. I could be both a stay at home dad, AND still work to support my family. My son has come back and is now dragging me into KayBee toystore. He's found these Simpson dolls that talk to each other. Homer and Bart Simpson dolls. Homer says things like, "Where's my cookie," and the Bart doll answers him saying, "What cookie?" They continue talking to each other as long as they are close together. I have no urge whatsoever to look at these dolls, but it seems I have no choice. For the most part, I manage to ignore his excitement and go on about my own business. Sad isn't it? For my second superpower, I would be ALWAYS-FUN and ATTENTIVE-BUDDY-DAD MAN, the perfect dad, who always has time to play with his son. The kind of dad who remembers what it is to be an almost ten-year old boy, and who can relate to that boys needs and desires. Sometimes I get so tired of always being a parent with the DO this and DON'T do that. With the NO you can't eat that and the NO you can't DO this. As we walk though Safeway, here to pick up some grapefruit, my daughter awakes and looks up at me. She has great big brown eyes that just melt my heart. She is our little blank slate, a future full of potential. For my daughter, I'd wish my third power to be that of SUPERMAN, though not quite the one of DC Comics fame. This Superman would protect his daughter from the bad men that might lie in her future. If she were to move far away, I could fly to her aid at a moment's notice, rescuing her from any circumstance she might need rescuing from. On the way home, as we walk through the parking lot, I notice a little yellow flower. It calls out to me and so I bend down, pluck it without thinking and turn to my wife. "Here," I say "here is a flower for you." She laughs and says, "Thank you. It's a weed, but it's a weed from you and it's lovely." For my wife, I'd wish for my fourth superpower, TAKE-AWAY-THE-PAIN MAN. If you've read her review about the passing of her mum, then you'll know what I mean. Having children after our parents leave us can be such a bittersweet thing. You want to share all of your children's accomplishments with your own parents, and you want to call on them to find out how you were as a kid. Coming through the gate to our apartment, with my wife heading off towards the mailboxes, my son climbing the wall next to me, and my daughter babbling away, I think how lucky I am, how much FUN it is to be a dad, a husband and a father. And I think of my last superpower, APPRECIATE-THE-MOMENT MAN. Here are the other participants in the write-off: sundogg99 Officer Sloucho aribuzz c-option Gr8dane herjazz jennifernorth JennJoy Liberator76 Mr.Eyore OdellBurgess phixed waltlockley zenhues sleestakk Rhupea vipvop st3on1ey1baby levda Christoff and of course the inimitable kellydeal!

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