Wonder Woman is not MY Hero

     Wonder Woman is not my hero...and I'll tell you why.

     First of all, there's the outfit.  And don't even get me started on the hair.  I realize that in her time that hair and outfit were hot stuff, but come on!  I happen to love red, so I won't attack her boots...they're pretty great.

     Beyond her "look" however, I have a deeper reason for my apathy towards the heroic woman in the red boots.  don't get me wrong, I have nothing personally against Super Hero's or Wonder Woman herself.  I'm sure in her own way she IS a wonder of a woman!  My beef, per say, lies within what she represents...or maybe it's more in what she DOESN'T represent.  Allow me to explain.

     When I was a little girl, super Hero's were beginning to light up big (and little) screens everywhere.  The idea of a regular Joe who suddenly transformed into something incredible, something above and beyond the norm, was a concept that people embraced.  A hidden secret identity behind the persona or "normal" was attracting to us.  With their unique super powers, their desire to fight the enemy and save the human race (all while rocking a fabulous super suit) we have come to embrace these people as Hero's.  

     In reference to Wonder Woman as a heroine, I think of all the times I hear this Super Hero comparison in the daily lives of women everywhere.  "Wow, she is amazing!  How does she do it ALL?  She is some kind of wonder woman!"  The word ALL often represents how much a woman can juggle without driving herself into the ground.  Women tend to have this idea that if we morph ourselves into some kind of Super Woman who can take it all on, do a million things at once, fly to the rescue of everyone we know, be successful and acknowledged in numerous areas of life, then we too will be seen as something incredible.  We will have proved that we are extraordinary.  Why do we believe we have to become somehow out of the ordinary...some kind of wonder woman...to be considered great or even heroic?

     As I look back over the years of my life and think about all the "super women" and "hero's" I have encountered, I have noticed a common thread.  All of them have had an impact of my life, in some big way, by doing simple and seemingly ordinary things.  There was no cape, no shiny red boots, no underlying secret super powers that made them special. Their Power came from within.  Their power came from above.  Their power came from experience and work, failures and successes, and the blood, sweat, and tears that comes from living an "ordinary" everyday life.  These women have been quiet, shining examples and constant, steady rocks of influence.  The idea of a "SUPERWOMAN" refers to the idea of extraordinary, when some of the greatest power and influence comes simply from the extra-ordinary day to day living of wonderful women.

     I want to celebrate the heroism and power that comes from wonderful women simply being wonderful women.  No costumes, no capes...just real women with real power.  The influence of a good woman can reach far beyond the realms of time.  In speaking about women as mothers, sisters, aunts and friends, Julie B. Beck said: "Righteous women have changed the course of history and will continue to do so, and their influence will spread and grow exponentially throughout the eternities."  I have come in contact with many of these "super" women throughout my life, and they have been absolute hero's to me.  They have helped shape my life in ways a super hero with all the powers in the world could never have done. Influence is power, and anytime we have a positive influence on someone, we make a difference in their life.  These women have not swooped down from the sky and saved entire cities from certain destruction, but they have fought their life battles with courage, strength and faith.  They have stood strong in the hour of diversity, met trials with patience, and poured out compassion and love in times of need.  They have shown me time and again what real women of faith do to make a difference in day to day living.  They have taught me how to have courage, how to strive for excellence, and how to forgive myself when I fall short. These life lessons are invaluable to me, and have helped shape me into the woman I am today, and the woman I am striving to become.

     I invite you to think of the real "wonder women" in your lives.  How has their influence and power affected you or those around you?  How have they inspired you to be an extra-ordinary woman in your own life?  I invite you to ponder how the simple, yet profound, influence of wonderful women can make all the difference in the world.  I'm confident you won't have to look far to find one!

     So, when it comes right down to it, Wonder Woman, I have nothing against you....but you are not my hero.  That title belongs to the women everywhere who are just trying to do their best, living the best life they can and spreading real power and influence throughout the world simply by being a wonderful woman.  And that is so much cooler than shiny red boots!