When I was a young kid I was found to have scoliosis. A corrective operation was planned for when I was 12. Unfortunately, it was much worse than anticipated, and at 7 I was admitted for corrective operations and in a body cast for 6 months 200 miles from home. that's a long way for parents to visit, so I saw them on weekends. Each weekend they would bring presents. My favorites were always the comic books. I read them all before they even left to go home. I reread them throughout the week. They became my refuge when things got too lonely. My favorite was Spiderman.
I believed in his heroes. His characters. They lived for me. I knew they didn't exist, but they made everything possible and they made you believe in it. Bullies could be stood up to, good morals would win the day, good will overcome evil, no matter how many problems occurred, they could be solved in the end. Thank you, Stan Lee, for your gift, your vision and the ability to believe. You made a lonely boy very, very happy, and helped shape the man he became. With great power, comes great responsibility.
