I know I've touched on this subject before in Livin' with Spider-man, but there's a new aspect to it recently.
Sam is a funny kid. Anyone that's met him would agree with me. The kid's imagination astounds me sometimes. He's big into superheroes, which for me, is a big deal. I'm big into superheroes. I'm one of those guys that still collect comics and other comic related paraphernalia. So when Sam began to love it as much as I did it made me happy.
Sam is funny though, because his love for superheroes doesn't stop when he stops pretending to be that hero. When we have to go somewhere and I have to tell him to get dressed to go, it's with a little reluctance, but he eventually does it. It's only when we get to where we're going that I realize that his "pretending" hasn't stopped.
The scene goes a little like this.
We walk into our destination, in this case we'll say the gas station, and the employee will say hi to Sam. (Yes, that's how often we go to the gas station. They know us by name.) Sam will stop in his tracks, with an indignant look on his face. He then says very strongly. "I'm not Sam! My name is..." Fill in your favorite alter-ego here. Normally it's Peter Parker. The employee will chuckle and apologize, going along with Sam's acting.
The funny thing is it seems more often than not he's the hero's secret identity than the actual superhero.
It's quite often that I come home from work and Sam is dressed in his Sunday best. This frustrates me a bit because his Sunday best is supposed to be reserved for Sunday. I ask him why he's dressed in his church clothes and normally get this response: "This is what Clark Kent wears!" or whomever he is that day.
Now most kids I know would be dressed as Superman. Not Sam. He's more often than not dressed as the mild mannered personality than their crime fighting alter-ego. It makes me laugh. I remembered as a kid pretending to be the superhero, not their menial, everyday persona. Sam seems to relish in it though.
The best part is watching him interact with people after he tells them who he is. After stating that he's Clark Kent, he'll lean close and say: "Don't tell anyone, but I'm Superman!" They'll laugh and say that they'll keep his secret safe. Which they probably will, but Sam is a different story. The next person we meet he'll have the same conversation with. Divulging his secret identity to them and telling them not to tell anyone. No matter how many times I tell him that he's not supposed to do that he just continues on. Giving away his secret identity to anyone who'll listen.
A costume is an added bonus it seems. If he's got one it adds a new level of humor for me. There's been quite a few times that I've told him to get dressed and he comes from his room with something inappropriate on. Not inappropriate as in clothes no one should be wearing or anything, but inappropriate for the weather. Asking him to get dressed when it's 90 degrees outside and having him come out of his room in jeans and long sleeves throws up a red flag.
"Why are you wearing that?" I'll ask. The response is: "This is what I want to wear." I'll smile and ask him to lift up his shirt. Sure enough, he's still wearing the costume, he's just disguising it with his clothes. I laugh and tell him it's too hot for that. A cross look will cross his face and he'll tell me that he can't be Clark Kent or Peter Parker without his suit. Usually this hilarity quickly breaks down into frustration and crying because I have to make him remove it and change his clothes to avoid him getting heatstroke because of all his layers.
He's undaunted though, because even though he's not able to wear his suit, there will still be something he'll take with him to link him to his alter-ego. Whether it be a fake pair of glasses or a toy camera, Sam is still in the middle of being his favorite secret identity.
Sam is a funny kid. Anyone that's met him would agree with me. The kid's imagination astounds me sometimes. He's big into superheroes, which for me, is a big deal. I'm big into superheroes. I'm one of those guys that still collect comics and other comic related paraphernalia. So when Sam began to love it as much as I did it made me happy.
 |
| Sam in full superhero glory! |
The scene goes a little like this.
We walk into our destination, in this case we'll say the gas station, and the employee will say hi to Sam. (Yes, that's how often we go to the gas station. They know us by name.) Sam will stop in his tracks, with an indignant look on his face. He then says very strongly. "I'm not Sam! My name is..." Fill in your favorite alter-ego here. Normally it's Peter Parker. The employee will chuckle and apologize, going along with Sam's acting.
The funny thing is it seems more often than not he's the hero's secret identity than the actual superhero.
It's quite often that I come home from work and Sam is dressed in his Sunday best. This frustrates me a bit because his Sunday best is supposed to be reserved for Sunday. I ask him why he's dressed in his church clothes and normally get this response: "This is what Clark Kent wears!" or whomever he is that day.
Now most kids I know would be dressed as Superman. Not Sam. He's more often than not dressed as the mild mannered personality than their crime fighting alter-ego. It makes me laugh. I remembered as a kid pretending to be the superhero, not their menial, everyday persona. Sam seems to relish in it though.
The best part is watching him interact with people after he tells them who he is. After stating that he's Clark Kent, he'll lean close and say: "Don't tell anyone, but I'm Superman!" They'll laugh and say that they'll keep his secret safe. Which they probably will, but Sam is a different story. The next person we meet he'll have the same conversation with. Divulging his secret identity to them and telling them not to tell anyone. No matter how many times I tell him that he's not supposed to do that he just continues on. Giving away his secret identity to anyone who'll listen.
A costume is an added bonus it seems. If he's got one it adds a new level of humor for me. There's been quite a few times that I've told him to get dressed and he comes from his room with something inappropriate on. Not inappropriate as in clothes no one should be wearing or anything, but inappropriate for the weather. Asking him to get dressed when it's 90 degrees outside and having him come out of his room in jeans and long sleeves throws up a red flag.
 |
| See how it would be hard to make him want to change, but still worry about him being too hot. |
He's undaunted though, because even though he's not able to wear his suit, there will still be something he'll take with him to link him to his alter-ego. Whether it be a fake pair of glasses or a toy camera, Sam is still in the middle of being his favorite secret identity.
That's my boy!
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