I want to believe

So Conor & I were watching episodes of Smallville, and I was telling him it was about Superman when he was a boy -- a teenager. (Conor looks forward to when he will be a teenager, probably so he can use the computers on the second floor of the library.) It was an episode where the "freak of the week" would draw heat from things and cause them to freeze. So Conor was asking, "Is that Iceman?" And I said, "Yeah, sorta." Then he was telling me that Iceman was Spider-Man's bestest friend, and then I told him how Spider-Man and Superman live in two different worlds. And that the worlds are called "Marvel" and "DC". Ofcourse I have somewhere the Superman / Spider-Man team up (along with the teen-titans meet the X-Men), so I had to say that sometimes they visit each other, but usually not.

Then he was asking me where Metropolis was. And really, I don't know but I told him I think its in New York. And then he asked all kinds of questions about Smallville. How it stayed the "smallest city of them all" and how they don't put up new buildings in Smallville, and how some towns want to stay small. And then he asked, "is Smallville still the tiniest city when Superman grows up?" I said it was, and he asked, "how does that happen" and which I said, "well Smallville is make-believe so they can keep it small" and that is where I misstepped.

"What do you mean? Did you trick me?"

"What?"

"Is Smallville not real a trick?"

"Superman is make-believe"

... Silence and Stunned Look from Conor ...

"Did you think Superman was real?"

"Yeah."

This is where I thought to myself, "Oh shit."

then Conor continued, "I think he's real.. I THINK"

So thankfully the reselience of 7 year old boys leads him to believe that Superman IS real no matter what dad thinks.

"Do you think he's real dad?"

Now I really believe in the idea of Superman. Not someone who can fly and have heat vision mind you, but the Superman in all of us. To me being Superman is having the courage and conviction to always do the right thing. So I said,

"I want to beleive in Superman."

"Do Superman fans think he is real?"

"Well I am sure some do..."

"I think yes. Fans believe in Superman"

So there you have it. Superman is alive and well, so says Conor. And I for one, believe him.

I did backpeddle in here a little bit, and told him that Metropolis was a real place. In Illinois, and that they have a Superman museum there. I told him that he & I will go there someday. I always wanted to go, and now I have to, cuz I told my son. He might be a teenager before we make it, but one of these days I will make that road trip to Metropolis, Illinois.

Though I have to wonder if along with the Superman Museum, if there is any place in town that has a tribute to Fritz Lang...