Of Superheroes and Make-Believe Capes (Prologue)

Once upon a time, all that was needed for us to fly was a make-believe cape and the naïve trust that we could.

When was the world was nothing but a big playground for us, our happiness was embodied in a marble, a playing card, a doll, a robot, or a game of tag. But more than that, we never denied our desire to fly, to be superheroes just like the ones we watch on TV and see on comic books. All it took was a cape and a push saying, “You can fly! Go on! Try!”

And so we would.

Filled with curiosity and eagerness to discover the world, our free spirits were what made us climb up a tree or a high platform, but it was always our cape which drove us to jump. Our capes, though made from blankets, gave us the boost of courage we needed to conquer the fear of taking flight. The short- lived happiness that ran through us as we take off made up for the uncertainty of either falling and getting bruised or successfully landing on our feet without a scratch. Superhero, we say!

That was when life hasn’t robbed us of our innocence yet.

Growing up, we were plunged into life’s realities. We made wrong decisions, regretted over opportunities that slipped, dwelled over failures, losses and rejections that we forgot the imaginative, knowledge-hungry, and fearless child we once were. Society has moulded us and weaved us within its norms. We got stuck within our comfort zones; we became scared to be different. We played safe.

When we outgrew our childish selves, we unconsciously took off our and stored them in the dusty cupboards along with our innocent dreams and our child-like courage to disregard the impossible.

If you look back and think it through, when was the last time you wore your cape?