by Heide Fitch

Created on: May 09, 2008

Batman. Where are you when I need you?

I have officially pissed off the universe. It is true, but I'm not sure how. It is like I flipped Mother Theresa the bird and now karma is coming back to bite me. Only I didn't. So stop biting already. I have had enough.

I get why we need superheroes. Not to fight evil villains who threaten to take over the world, but rather to conquer the mean people. And the mean people to superhero ratio is pathetic. Mean person example #1. On Thursday a greedy car salesman made a shady and successful attempt to sell the car we were in the process of buying right from under our noses to up his commission. He did it without a second thought, and when confronted, simply said that "business is business," and hoped we would understand. Superman could have swooped in, punished the mean man and the world would have been right again.

Or what about the corrupt developer who, to further pad his pocket book, is charging everyone in our neighborhood outrageous monthly fees just to call our subdivision home ($300 a month sound good to anyone?); therefore forcing many to put their dream homes up for sale because they can't afford to put food on the table and pay to put the developer's kids through college too. He has plenty of his own money, why gouge us for ours? Spiderman could creep in and make the mean man pay.

Sadly, this is not how the world works. There are no caped crusaders to save the day. And the mean people just get meaner and multiply.

I realize that compared to incurable cancer and starving children in Africa, these scenarios seem trivial. I really am aware of how blessed a life I live and am grateful for it daily. And I do believe that most people are kind and honest and genuinely good, and this is often overlooked because of the occasional mean person who gums up the works.

I just get so frustrated because there is no point in being mean. It doesn't make you feel good. It doesn't make you seem powerful. It doesn't make people like you. It makes the people you are mean to angry. No good can come of it.

So if you are thinking of being mean, stop it. If you are thinking of cussing out the overworked, underpaid barista who accidentally put, God forbid, whole milk in your non-fat latte, don't. Just smile, take your coffee and tell her to have a nice day. And maybe she will. And then Batman's assistance is unnecessary.

Learn more about this author, Heide Fitch.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.