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A Replying Letter from Superman Regarding COVID 19 Pandemic


"Humans cannot expect us (superheroes) to get out of the movie screen to save the world. But humans can take our commitment, strengths, courage, perseverance, compassion for the weak, and synergetic skills (like the one we show in 'Infinity War' movie) to inspire themselves to develop the same in themselves. I believe, it is through that inspiration that superheroes can help people to end any problem that threatens humanity."


8 April 2020

Dear Parlin,

Do you know how grateful I am to receive your letter? Never had I expected to receive such a warm and encouraging letter. It becomes particularly special because it was sent by a friend from Indonesia, a marvelous great country consisting of more than 18,300 islands, more than 600 ethnicities, countless natural landscapes, gorgeous long beaches, majestic mountains, and rich and glorious cultural heritage.

Your letter made me excited to plan to visit your country and stay for some time in Bali, Lake Toba, Raja Ampat, and other marvelous places. However, I should postpone it because we must fight COVID 19 first, like Frost says, "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep. But I have promises to keep and miles to go …"

That’s true, COVID 19 has become a devastating pandemic. It is quickly spreading to many countries and has infected almost 1.5 million people. Our hearts go out to all people who have lost their family members, relatives, friends, etc. I know how sorrowful it is to lose by someone we love. I felt it when my mom, Martha Kent, and then my dad, Jonathan Kent, died of a fatal and rare tropical disease in Caribbean Islands. I tried everything I could, but I couldn’t keep them alive. Although my biological parents were Jor-El and Lara-El from Krypton, I believe my ‘real’ parents were "Pa" and "Ma" Kent who poured their love to raise me. I did inherit my physical power from my Kryptonian parents, but it was "Pa" and "Ma" Kent who taught me love and instilled in me the values of truth, justice, and humanity. That’s why I mourned quite long when my parents passed away.


Besides losing our beloved ones, COVID 19 has also significant negative economic, psychological, social, and educational impacts. Many vulnerable industries like manufacturing, tourism, hospitality, and travel are closed, putting 50 to 75 million jobs at a risk. It has also eliminated the income of approximately hundreds of millions of people working in informal environments. Physical distancing and quarantine are the best protocol we have to limit the virus spread. However, they can cause emotional disturbance, depression, stress, low mood, irritability, and insomnia, particularly among older adults. Those who lost jobs are also vulnerable to depression, distress, and low self-esteem. Tremendous bad effects of the pandemic are probably experienced by people living in poverty situations, persons with disabilities, older persons, and indigenous peoples. Homeless people, for instance, are highly exposed to the danger of the virus due to their inability to have safe shelter. Another frightening threat of this pandemic is possibly the gigantic educational crisis for it has caused more than 1.6 billion children and youth, equals to about 80% of the world enrolled students, to be out of school.


Parlin, my friend. I don’t have the expertise to handle such a virus pandemic. Using my superhuman vision, which enables me to see thins many miles away or things at a microscopic level, of course, I can see coronavirus whose diameter is 400-500 micrometer. But this ability can be effective to use only in a limited area. I possibly can lift or move the Earth, but I can't clean it from the virus alone.  Despite these limitations, as you asked for, I offer six suggestions to do. The list is not exhaustive, but these six points, I think, are the most important.



  • Our scientists should keep on researching to understand the virus and develop more effective treatments and find a vaccine.
  • National leaders should focus to determine the best policies for meeting public health, economic, and social challenges.
  • Our doctors, nurses, and others working in medical professions should be supported in their struggle to treat people infected by the virus.
  • Industries should increase their capacity repurpose their equipment to make safety gear for hospitals or even to produce healthcare equipment.
  • To buy us more time to do the four things above, all individuals should commit to practice the wash hands, wear a mask, physical distancing, and stay-at-home protocol.
  • All people should commit to keep the society running although we should now work, study, communicate, socialize, and pray in different ways. 

My friend, Parlin. In your letter, you wonder whether superheroes like me, Batman, Spiderman, and so on can help humans to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The answer may be "yes" or "no" depending on what perspective you are using. You know we superheroes are merely fiction, while coronavirus pandemic you are fighting is a reality. We live in two different realms. Humans cannot expect us (superheroes) to get out of the movie screen to save the world. But humans can take our commitment, strengths, courage, perseverance, compassion for the weak, and synergetic skills (like the one we show in 'Infinity War' movie) to inspire themselves to develop the same in themselves. I believe, it is through that inspiration that superheroes can help people to end any problem that threatens humanity.

In other words, please use superheroes as a role model to inspire you and other people to recognize and develop the talents, strengths, and skills you have. Everyone can be as strong and noble as he wants to be. Aunt May, in Spiderman II, accentuates this by saying, "I believe there's a hero in all of us…that keeps us honest…gives us strength…makes us noble…and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most – even our dreams.” Concerning this, please remember that “There is a superhero in all of us, we just need the courage to put on the cape.” After every individual has identified and developed his or her talent, please unite and work like an orchestra. By uniting in a superglobal team, in which not only individuals but also nations work together, I believe humans can not only end COVID 19 quickly but also any other problems that threaten humanity. 


Finally, you also asked me to share my experiences in my childhood and adolescence. Well, this must be a topic I can talk much about for it deals with my self-experience. My childhood and adolescence were two of the sweetest life phases for me, as I was brought up by great parents. (I hope other people can also go through a happy childhood and adolescence.). Concerning this, allow me to thank you because your letter has incited me to recollect my memories of these two beautiful periods. 


Sweet and beautiful they were, but my childhood and adolescence were not free of challenges. In my opinion, the biggest challenge I met in these periods was due to my unfamiliarity with my origin. You know, I was sent to Earth as an infant in a homemade spaceship from Krypton just before the planet was devastated by a nuclear chain reaction. Landing on the Earth, "Pa" and "Ma" Kent found and adopted me. As a descendant of the Kryptonese, compared to humans of the Earth, I naturally have superpowers that develop as I grew up. Knowing that I have such powers sometimes frightened me because I did not know why and they made me different from my peers. Isn't it frightening if your peers could jump only 50 centimeters high or lift a 10-kilogram goat but you can jump some houses over or lift a 250 kilograms buffalo?  I was also worried about the possibility to be panic that I could hurt others and myself when the superpowers emerge and I could not control them. For instance, one day at school, when I was 9 years old, I attempted to control my powers. It terrified me so much that I hid in a maintenance closet and prompted my counselors to call my mother. Thanks for her guidance which enabled me to control the power. 


That fear ended when I was 13 years old after my parents disclosed my true origin. They told me that they kept my origin a secret before because they did not want me to feel different and be alienated from my peers. Since that time, with the help of my parents' guidance, I could control the power easily. My father always encouraged me to use my powers to the best of my knowledge and to help other people. He also provided me a role model by always finding good ways to help our neighbors while we were living in Smallville. I remembered how, one day, being far more powerful than my friends I began to show off while playing football. My dad took me aside and encouraged me to be more than just a high school football star. This inspired me the belief that ”What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely.” You see, my dad, a simple farmer from Smallville, inspired me to dream high. Right before he died, he again reminded me to always use my powers for the benefit of humanity. 


My mother, Martha Kent, also played a great role in my childhood and adolescence. Although she was raised in the farming and got married to a farmer, she loves reading. Before I could read, she used to tell me stories or talk about many things she obtained by reading many books. Like my father, she kept on accompanying me in my trial to control my superpower and reminding I should use my power only for others’ good. Even my Superboy’s costume was made by my mother out of the blankets inside the rocket that brought me to Earth. 


Concerning my adolescence, I guess I spent my youth just like other teens. The only difference is probably that it’s quite hard for me to hide my identity as a Superboy, especially from my girlfriend, Lana Lang. Probably, since we are very close, she was very curious and spent much of her time trying to prove that Superboy and Clark Kent were the same, i.e. me. That’s why, any time we date, I should be extra careful so I can keep my identity.


My friend, Parlin. While reading your statement that you posted your letter to me on this blog because you don't have my address and email address, I intended to give you both my fortress and email addresses. However, I undid it because, since our letters concern with humanity, it's much better if everyone could also read them. I mean, let's just share through open letters, so that your letter's content is also communicated to every superhero and what I share through my letter is also conveyed to every human being. Thus, everyone is able (expected) to provide comments or feedback to our letters. Don't you think it is cool?  

To close my letter, I hope that all individuals and all nations can soon take their parts and work synergistically to save humanity from COVID 19 so that we can live happily and peacefully again. Can’t wait for the end of this pandemic thereby I can leave my fortress for a while to stay and enjoy your beautiful Indonesia. I hope we can share again about many other things in the future.

Sincerely,

Superman


Author: Parlindungan Pardede (parlin@weedutap.com)


Comments

  1. I like this inspirational expressions. "You know we superheroes are merely fiction, while coronavirus pandemic is a reality. Thus, people cannot expect us to get out of the movie screen to collect and destroy the virus. We live in two different realms. But if people can take our commitment, super strengths, courage, perseverance, compassion for the weak, and synergistic skills (like the one we show in 'Infinity War' movie) to inspire, I believe, superheroes can help people to end this pandemic and other problems that threaten humanity as well." Good job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SM (superman) can not explain here. Contact me if you can see this. I can’t tell you much in such a public view but in private your questions will be answered. I know you will always help we’re you can so all I can say is “please”. Ps anyone else who reads this ignore it! If you can see this reply privately soon. A friend.
      I know who have an email address so if you get this contact me, please don’t print this in the daily planet.

      Delete
    2. PS I trust you with everything. I will always trust you.

      Delete
  2. I like the message from Superman's reply that he tries to tell us. Namely by knowing that Superman and we are living in different world so we shouldn't wait for Superhero like him to safe the world from the virus. But he did tell us that we are also superheroes that can safe the world by ourselves, maybe we cannot be a superhero like him that can save the world using superpowers but we can be a superhero like him to save the world with all of strenghts that we have to save the humanity. We can do it by keep washing our hands, keep the physichal distance, and keep wearing mask. Maybe it seems like a simple act but these simple acts can safe the world and the humanity while waiting for the scientists in finding the vaccines. By so, we'll be able to live our life like we used to be and one day Superman will be able to visit our world, our country, and see the beautiful places such as Like Toba, Bali, Raja Ampat, and many other places so he can tell the beauty of our world to his friends in Kryptone.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice letter, I like this message (or meaning ) from the replying letter by the "Superman". As we know that "Superman" it's only character fiction. So, he can't get out of the movie and save the world from Coronavirus. In reality, we only can use our ability as human beings to save ourselves and others from Coronavirus. But, now actually we have the "real" superhero, which is the people who have to take their parts and work synergistically to save humanity from COVID 19.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Very touching letter, we cannot be superheroes like those in the film, but we can emulate commitment, tenacity and never give up. we cannot save our earth like in most movies. But now we can protect our earth by obeying government recommendations and staying home. Our loyalty by staying at home will be useful for those who are at the forefront.

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  5. Very good letter of reply. ““There is a superhero in all of us, we just need the courage to put on the cape.” After every individual has identified and developed his or her talent, please unite and work like an orchestra”. It can't be if only the government or medical staff overcome this, but we all humans must be able to work together. We need courage and cooperation to fight COVID 19 by following the government's recommendations and prohibitions, so that this problem is quickly resolved and we live happily.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Impressive! however we cannot be Superman , but by this letter told us to save our country start with ourselves first. We can say that Superman is our role model right know ( in this situation) .commitment, strengths, courage, perseverance, compassion are the key for us to implement in our life .

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nice letter, I like it. When I read '' A replying letter from Superman regarding COVID 19 pandemic'', there are some words that very interesting for me like humans cannot expect us to get out of the movie screen to save the world, but humans can take our commiment, strenghts, courage, perseverance, compassion for the weak and synergetuc skills to inspire themselves. Beside that, this letter also taught us to be a superhero that can safe the world and fight the coronavirus pandemic, without waiting for a superhero like him. Stay at home, wash your hands, and use mask. By applying the steps above in your life, then you are a superhero. The last, ''there is a superhero in all of us, we just need courage to put on the cape''.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nice letter, I like this message from Superman reply. We know that superman is a super hero who can do anything, but it is a fictional story if in the fact that superman can save the world free from COVID 19, surely we will rely on it but that is very unlikely. We are the real superheroes today, that is by obeying the rules that have been made and committing to practice hand washing, wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, and staying home if there is nothing important to leave the house. To be a superhero is very difficult, but if we have high commitment, strength, courage and perseverance, believe us to be the same superhero as superman.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Verry touching when Superman said "You know we superheroes are merely fiction, while coronavirus pandemic you are fighting is a reality. We live in two different realms. Humans cannot expect us (superheroes) to get out of the movie screen to save the world. But humans can take our commitment, strengths, courage, perseverance, compassion for the weak, and synergetic skills (like the one we show in 'Infinity War' movie) to inspire themselves to develop the same in themselves. I believe, it is through that inspiration that superheroes can help people to end any problem that threatens humanity". So everyone, now only we can save ourself because actually Superman it's only character fiction. Come on, be a hero to ourself and others!

    ReplyDelete
  10. A very impressive letter reply. I am glad that Superman can finally reply to the author's letter. After reading a reply from Superman, I was a little upset and sad when he said that he did not have the expertise to handle the Covid-19 pandemic. Where the hope of the arrival of superman to Indonesia can not be realized. But I feel motivated when superman uses his abilities to help others. Now he no longer feels afraid due to his abilities. this teaches me to recognize and develop the talents, strengths, and skills that I have. So that I can become a superman or superhero to help the whole community affected by the Corona Virus and destroy the virus.
    Several things can strengthen us all from the Covid-19 pandemic of superman's words, that "There is a superhero in us all, we just need the courage to wear a robe." After each individual identifies and develops his talent, please unite and work like an orchestra by uniting in a superglobal team, where not only individuals but also countries work together ".
    Thanks to motivation by Superman, I don't feel that little anymore. I hope we can destroy Covid-19 with our shared spirit and unity. As an expression of my respect, I thank superman for strengthening us through this reply letter.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I really like this letter from Superman. This letter give a great massage and support humans to convince themselves. And I love this part. Supermen said, "You know we superheroes are merely fiction, while coronavirus pandemic you are fighting is a reality. But humans can take our commitment, strengths, courage, perseverance, compassion for the weak, and synergetic skills (like the one we show in 'Infinity War' movie) to inspire themselves to develop the same in themselves. I believe, it is through that inspiration that superheroes can help people to end any problem that threatens humanity."
    So, superman want to reader know that humans can help themselves and others to end any problem threatens humanity if human take a commitment, strengths, courage, perseverance, compassion for the weak, and synergetic skills.

    ReplyDelete
  12. i really fall in love with this letter, i mean Letter from Superman. When Superman said "I believe there's a hero in all of us…that keeps us honest…gives us strength…makes us noble…and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most – even our dreams.” Concerning this, please remember that “There is a superhero in all of us, we just need the courage to put on the cape." . That statement can makes us more brave and confident to through this Covid 19.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This is an awesome letter! It's like a real letter from Superman, Clark kent :D
    I really got carried away when reading this article (A Replying Letter from Superman). An interesting point in my opinion in a replying letter from Superman is that in us there is a superhero, we just need courage to put on the cape. That means everyone can be as cool as Superman to be a superhero, even to help people out there, we just need to awaken the commitment and enthusiasm to continue standing in the midst of world conditions.
    I can't wait for another letter from Superman!

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is an interesting letter from Superman. Superman said that superheroes are merely fiction, while coronavirus pandemic we are fighting is a reality. We can make our superheroes to be role model in our life but we cannot expect superheroes to get out of the movie screen to save the world. That make me interesting in this letter is ”What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely". Thank you Superman
    your letter make me inspired to be good and wisely people.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Right, I completely agree with the reply message. Actually, we are the superheroes in ourselves, to protect from us, we will definitely protect ourselves. Doctors and medical support us so we don't support and prevent it. We are the ones who will protect ourselves.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Can you read the message above if not here it is. I can’t say much right now email me privately and I will answer your questions. I trust you I am a friend to you. I know you help where you can so all I can say is “please”. I will always trust you. Please do not print this at the daily planet. SM I am and always will be a friend. I know this letter was sent last year but please if you can see this contact (privately email) me. You can trust me… always.

    ReplyDelete

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