Whatcinematic value do we place in Superman? He is the priceless piece of fiction asAmerican as apple pie. But, Superman is not a hero: he is an idol. A concept - areverie of strength, righteousness, selflessness and compassion we all wish wecould exhibit. Out of anarchy, order is derived by the action of one singlebeing. No, Superman was never a hero, he was a standard.

I know whatyou're looking for: something inspirational, something that can make youtemporarily escape from the present and get lost in a Brothers Grimm land ofadventure where best friends take the fall for one another and my knight inshining armor musters up courage of Homeric proportions to save me from drugs anddepression. The meek shall inherit, well - do I seem like the kind of person whowill collect his heavenly inheritance? Can you hear the audacity?

Hero: aword that deserves definition but no face. Are you looking for a fable about mygrandfather, and his words of wisdom as he lies struggling for breath on hisdeathbed? In my 17 years on this earth, if there's one thing I've learned it'sthat wisdom is not acquired with age. Contrary to popular belief, it's won withlight-heartedness. The reason it's typically thought to come with age is that aswe progress through life, we consume to the point where we need nothing else, andwe're lost. It is the realization that we need nothing that brings wisdom. MaybeI'm naive, but I've seen four-years-olds who have a greater grasp on the meaningof life than 40-year-olds.

This was not the essay you were looking for, Iknow that. When does catering to the audience go too far? Where do we draw theline between creativity and compromise? Should I negotiate my morals, mythoughts, and my ideas for an audience?

No, I don't have a hero; Ihave billions. Every person who contributes to the world by the simple grace ofliving is a hero. There have been so many innocent, nonchalant smiles and"hellos" that have saved my life.

Those people who infuriateme, who send me into livid rage, are heroes because they remind me of what it'slike to be human, to need to show emotion. Those who have broken my heart andthose who put it back together have taught me lessons in love that I can passdown to my own children. Every lover whose kiss sent me soaring through theclouds, faster than a bullet, compelling me to be more powerful than alocomotive; they're heroes. So, I will not write about a hero. I will write aboutyou. I will write about me. Because we all are our own heroes, men and women,greater than the likes of any Superman.