Skip to main content

Warrior Wednesday - The Bullied Become Super

[caption id="attachment_11040" align="alignright" width="300"]sword Image created using Bitmoji[/caption]

Gotham tells a different aspect of the Batman story.

Not having an in depth knowledge of Batman lore, I can't say whether or not there's been a story before that covers Bruce's years from the time his parents were killed to when he becomes Batman other than the actual moment with the bats.

His story has always felt rather like Jesus's to me in that way.

But it is also vastly different. Bruce wanted to never feel weak again.

Everything he does that leads to him becoming Batman is because of that moment of powerlessness he experienced while he was unable to prevent his parents's deaths.

One of the things he decides is to learn to fight. He has a strong desire to stop bad things from happening ever again. What his specific qualifications are in terms of deciding right from wrong are unknown. He's a boy who is bullied briefly and seeks revenge.

He has a lot of hurt inside him.

In martial arts, we often talk about things like the 8 samurai virtues. They provide guide posts for being a good person and for how to be as a student of martial arts.

The thing is that many are fueled by much darker things like revenge, hatred, or greed. And some of the best warriors weren't honourable. One need only look at the story of Musashi and the oar to see that.

Musashi probably seemed to have supernatural powers to some people. He was undefeated and remains one of the most legendary swordsmen to have lived. But he, by all accounts, was just a man. A man whose career started out with those around him underestimating his abilities.

Gotham also shows us a young Penguin who was also bullied and underestimated. We see his early penchant for killing others. We see him rising into power.

Being a petite woman from a small town blue-collar family, I understand what it's like to be underestimated. I was also bullied as a child, but I learned to forgive those who did so. Most were young and it was the late 80s and early 90s when divorce was becoming frequent, but no one really knew how to handle it or make it easier on their kids.

Perhaps one day, I'll achieve some sort of greatness too. I felt super when I passed my Nidan grading in December. And I felt super last night until I stabbed myself slightly with my sword. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way.

And that's how life's river flows today.
R~

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Gauntlet That Was October

I had a lot of things happen in October. I watched Frankenstein in the cemetery with friends. I had tea with a friend. I started a new sport: curling. This is really fun and I'm enjoying the level of activity it provides and all the strategic elements. I'll do a separate post on it soon. Unfortunately, soon after my first game, I came down with Covid and so did the friend who I had tea with, so I think we both caught it at the place we went to. That wasn't fun. I already posted about that. I was fortunate to be free of it in time to attend Can-Con where I took in lots of panels, saw some of the wonderful writer community, bought many new books, and volunteered to help out in the rooms. The following weekend, I went to the livestream for Danielle Allard's new album release, followed by the in person release. As part of this, she has a 6 video series that releases every Sunday on her YouTube at 1:15 PM EDT. Video number 2, Falling Into Place, is one that I feel fortunate

Under Siege

My city is under attack. I wish I was being facetious.  The so-called "freedom" convoy is here and so far this is what has transpired: 1. They parked on the war memorial. These people who call themselves patriots. This is where the Unknown Soldier rests. This is where Corporal Nathan Cirullo lost his life in October of 2014. The cars were towed, but who knows what actual repercussions they will face. 2. Later, when asked to move away from memorial, one stood and jumped on the tomb itself while others cheered.  3. Despite having port-a-potties provided for by the mayor, they've been defecating on Parliament Hill, in snowbanks, and on streets nearby.  4. Flags being flown include the Confederate flag of the United States, Trump flags, the Quebec equivalent to the Confederate flag, upside down Canada flags, regular Canada flags, Fuck Trudeau flags, libertarian flags, and ones adorned with swastikas. Yeah, this is totally about freedom rather than racism, white su

December 2023 Holidays

The drive to North Bay was pretty smooth until I was 30 minutes away and ran out of windshield washer fluid. That was the first time that ever happened to me. Luckily, about 10-15 minutes later, there was one last gas station where I could fix that. Since it's my busy season, I worked the mornings and took the afternoons and evenings to spend with family and friends. My brother stopped by with a special gift, a new ornament for the tree. My mom loved ceramic Christmas trees, so it's a perfect way to keep her with us at Christmas. His friend, Fawn, helped him get it made. She has a YouTube channel you can check out here: https://youtube.com/@thethriftyfawn After that, I visited friends in the slightly rural part of Callander, Ontario. We were having a lovely time catching up and then the evening had a surprise in store. Someone in the area had hit a small deer with their vehicle. My friend's dad skinned and gutted it in around -20C (due to the windchill) weather.