Superman...

Christopher Reeve died yesterday. I just found this out this morning as I woke up. I'm at a complete loss. It's very difficult to explain what that means to me.

I'm a comic book lover. Every Wednesday I go to the comic book store and purchase my funny books about the X-Men and Batman and many more. Above all else, though, I need to get my Superman fix. Superman has always been my hero (though I've always wanted to be Lois Lane more than anyone). Maybe it was the iconic nature of the character. Maybe it was the mild-mannered reporter side. Maybe it was the Superman Underoos. Whatever it was that resonated with me, it hasn't stopped to this day. Chris Reeve's portrayal of Superman in the movies went a long way to solidiying that heroic image in my head as a young kid. (Even Superman IV: The Quest for Peace is good for a laugh.)

When he fell off that horse and became paralyzed due to spinal cord damage, that was a tragedy. But he turned that around and became such a heartfelt and courageous activist while working hard to regain movement. And little by little he succeeded in small but significant ways. According to most medical professionals, he wasn't suposed to be able to get where he ended up.

In addition to his amazing physical achievements, he fought hard to advance medical breakthroughs through stem cell research. This was a man who when he left his home he had to bring with him an enire caravan of equipment. What would take a normal man half an hour, could take Reeve because of his condition half a day. But he was out there speaking to people suffering with similar injuries, lobbying Congress for stem cells, and talking with the media about his experiences. I keep thinking of that commercial where, through computer imagery, he was shown getting up out of his chair. I always thought how magnificent that would be if he was actually able to accomplish it. Instead, a man who could not walk yet refused to stop running has passed on. I just hope there are others willing and able to pick up the baton.

If anyone deserved to a second chance by spinning the world on it's axis in reverse to turn back time, it was this guy. You'll be missed.