Sunday Night With John: Oh Captain, My Captain
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Oh Captain, My Captain
John Paul Derryberry
(I promise no spoilers from Endgame. If you are even a mild consumer of Comic Books, go see the movie. You will smile for about two days after the end credits roll.)
I used to make it to the midnight releases of all the Marvel comic book movies. Life changes now have me taking half days of vacation to make it happen. But one thing I know is, I will never miss a Steve Rogers, Captain America movie. Once, while on vacation, the choice was between a day at the beach or catching Captain America the First Avenger. I settled into my movie seat with popcorn in hand and watched my favorite comic book hero come to life on the big screen. Roll your eyes all you want, but the comic book takeover has been good for society. Bringing more healthy cultural outlets to mainstream society allows for people to make a connection they usually wouldn't.
Captain America wasn't always my favorite as there are other heroes more powerful, with a cooler set of powers, and less over-the-top superhero suits. They even acknowledge this during an exchange in the first Avenger movie.
"The uniform? Aren't the stars and stripes a little... old fashioned?"-
"With everything that's happening, the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old fashioned." ―Phil Coulson and Steve Rogers
It was this mash-up of my entry into the world of philosophy, accepting the life lesson from my family and the way Captain America's character's convictions were written. All those combined, allowing this doer of good deeds, his endless well of optimism, and his morally-driven character to rise in my superhero ranks. Plus, the way his shield defies physics is pretty cool.
There is a way to treat people, a way to conduct yourself as a person. No matter what society says, this is the truth. Our leaders have forgotten this fact. Not just our political leaders, but leaders of our businesses who don't offer raises and insurance. This also includes leaders of our non-profits who do not hold people accountable even though they take care of the most vulnerable. And us, as well, the people who stay in the job that doesn't give raises, shop at places that treat their employees horribly, because it's convenient.
Captain America stands against all in almost every iteration of the character, especially in the MCU movies. There are multiple paths to success. There are a million ways to live a life, but we all have forgotten that there is a way to treat people. We accept lying as just an alternative view of the facts. We endlessly say, I guess I have to choose between the lesser of two evils. We give away pieces of our honor, our soul, for an extra ten bucks in our paycheck, for a more significant social media presence, and, in order to be right. We manipulate the facts so we never have to admit defeat, or admit we have failed. Do those moral gymnastics enough and you'll look in the mirror and realize you have more stuff but never feel good about it.
This is not some soapbox rant as, at times, I have conducted myself with less than stellar moral and ethical gymnastics. This is the reason why I watch every Captain America movie, consume his comic books, and use his character in every superhero video game I play. It resets my compass for what I aspire to be: a man who acts within my moral guidelines whether or not they lead me to success or failure. I use the Captain to remind myself I can deal with failure if I made choices that follow the way I feel every human should act, to try always to follow my rule to leave people and places better than I found them. There are days I fail to reach this lofty goal. But, I'm not Captain America, so I have to cut myself some slack.
My all-time favorite quote, which has been used in my blog before, is from a Captain America movie. “Compromise where you can. Where you can't, don't, even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say 'No, you move.” --Captain America Civil War
This type of behavior doesn't always lead to people liking you. But the goal for me is not to be liked. My goal is for people to walk away from interactions with me and say, he's honest, compassionate, passionate, and is trying to do the right thing. I have been struggling with this because the transition from just John, to father, husband, director, storyteller, and social justice warrior, has been difficult for me. Where does one end and one begin? How do I balance my time and how does it all fit within the more moral guidelines that I hold myself to?
So there was my favorite hero, at some point in the latest movie, facing insurmountable odds and inevitable defeat. He stood back up to fight once more, not because he was looking for glory but because it was the right thing to do. My heart skipped a beat, and the poem, "Oh Captain, My Captain" by Walt Whitman, flashed in my head. A smile broke and a tear was shed, as my moral compass was reset. Thanks, Cap for being the hero we need to remind us, it's not about the victory lap, but the reasons we fight.