We're all Superman

In my closet is a box of old comics, and I love every one of them. My dad was a huge comic book fan and, in turn, he made fans out of all seven of his children.

I was looking for a book to read when I spotted Brad Meltzer's "The Book of Lies" on the library shelf. I was immediately intrigued as the novel dealt with Jerry Siegel, the creator of one of the most well-known comic book heroes of all time, Superman.

Meltzer weaves the Siegel's story and Superman into a murder mystery, and his recounting of Siegel's childhood and the early days of Superman are fascinating.

While researching his novel, Meltzer visited Siegel's childhood home near Cleveland, the place where the young teenager dreamed up a super man who could leap over tall buildings with a single bound and was more powerful than a locomotive.

The house was in deplorable condition. The ceiling was caving in, the floor had decayed and the walls were missing huge chunks of plaster. Three years ago, it seemed the birthplace of Superman was in danger of becoming like Superman's home planet of Krypton -- a distant memory.

The city didn't have the funds to restore the house, but Meltzer, a former comic book artist as well as author, said he believed regular, ordinary people could save the house.

He contacted the Siegel and Shuster Foundation and fellow comic book artists, and everyone agreed to work together to save the house.

The artists donated original art work, Superman fans bought T-shirts the artists designed, and all the money went to the foundation.

More importantly, Meltzer asked ordinary people to consider sending in one dollar, just one dollar, to save Superman's house.

Within a few months, the foundation had received over $110,000, enough to completely renovate Siegel's childhood home.

Today, the house, at 10622 Kimberly Ave. in Glenwood, Ohio, is in beautiful condition, and the owners graciously allow people to tour the renovated house.

Meltzer's positive experience with the Siegel home propelled him to establish the Ordinary People Can Change The World Website. He invited people to write in about how they're positively changing the world, and their words are inspiring.

They became Superman in their own neighborhoods, and we can do the same. We don't need Superman's X-ray vision to look inside the walls of schools and see libraries in need of painting and refurbishing.

It doesn't require Superman's super-human strength help an elderly couple clean up their yard. Nor does it require the ability to fly to run an errand for an ill friend.

It takes ordinary people like you and me.

Meltzer believes the real story of Superman isn't the invincible Man of Steel character. The true hero is Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent, Superman's timid alter ego, because, as Meltzer stated, inside, we're all Clark Kent.

We're the quiet artists drawing on the back of napkins and old sheets of paper because we don't believe we're good enough to show our work. We're the ones writing in private journals at night, reluctant to share our thoughts and words because we think others are more talented.

But behind our secret identities, we ordinary folks are the ones that can truly change the world.

Ordinary people feed the hungry, collect clothing for the needy and volunteer their time. They're making a positive change right here in Fort Bend County.

We're all challenged to step out from behind our secret identities and, maybe not leap over a tall building with a single bound, but reach out a hand to someone in need.

Because, as Meltzer says, ordinary people can indeed change the world.

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.