Batman! da na na na na na na na Batman! da na na na na na na na, BATMAN! da na na na na na na na batman! da na na na na na na na BATMAN! Batman! Batman! da na na na na na na na... !!!
Before there was Michael Keaton, before sexy Val Kilmer, before most eligible bachelor George Clooney, or dark brooding Christian Bale... there was the one... the only... ADAM WEST.
And if any of you were actually singing to the opening da na na na na na na, theme song to this post, then you know the legend of whom I speak.
BLAM! KAPOW! BOOM!
And tonight, at the largest comic convention in the prairies, Mr. Adam West warmly returned my handshake accompanied by words so flattering they would have melted dark chocolate on a iceberg floating in the Atlantic on a cold January morning.
To anyone but a trained eye, it would have looked (and sounded) a lot like he was flirting. And to my boys, the story will always be:
"Remember the time when Batman hit on mom?"
But keeping my fragile female vanity in check (and to be fair to all the other adoring fans), he was, upon keen observation, simply portraying the true picture of grace and appreciation that he is.
On some level, here was a man who understood that adoring fans (and the timeless popularity of an iconic series based on one of DC's greatest heroes), were directly responsible for affording him this unbelievable life.
Think about it. He gets to make people happy with his mere presence. And makes a lot of money doing it. Bonus!
But not all celebrities feel that way.
There are enough stories of celebs who make no bones about their distaste for the paparazzi and adoring fans to make you wonder why they ever chose acting in the first place.
But then again, like everything else, it all comes down to that feeling thing again.
And I bet Adam West is a lot happier than someone like Megan Fox whose negativity on set is becoming legendary among crew members (who long for the day when she is a has-been doing porn for less than a hooker makes on nickel day as punishment for being evil to people who have done nothing but show her unwarranted civility).
It may sound corny, but being grateful for the little things is a big deal when it comes to the quality of your life. It has to do again, with perception.
As you think, so you shall be.
And experience has taught me that people who are grateful for where they are in life and what they have regardless of what it is (ie; dreams achieved or not), are simply better off on all levels.
Ironically, being grateful usually brings it own reward in the form of serendipitous events that carry within them seeds of opportunity that hold the potential to propel one forward to the very goals that elude them.
But in the end, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun without those struggles.
Our best stories - the ones shared over drinks at the bar, or at backyard parties - are comprised of the struggles we endured along the way and how alive some of those challenges made us feel as each one tested our character to the limit.
I'm sure whoever set up the game, had this in mind.
Or in the words of Robin:
The way we get into these scrapes and get out of them, it's almost as though someone was dreaming up these situations; guiding our destiny. - Robin
So whether Adam West was destined to be Batman, or Megan Fox destined to be the hot chick in action flicks, or whether I am destined to be a best-selling author is something we'll never know.
But we control the journey to a large extent, with our attitudes.
And I for one, would like to thank Mr. Adam West for reminding me.
