The Ties That Bind

“As long as the ties that bind us together are stronger than those that would tear us apart, all will be well.”
What does that statement mean?

Right now, I know what you’re all saying, “What does this all have to do with comic books?  Get to the point already!”  Well, never fear because I do have a point and it is directly connected to comic books.

Comic books have helped me to work through all of the major points, both highs and lows in my life. I have been collecting them since I was four years old and this year I turn thirty-nine.  So that’s some thirty three years that my collection spans.  In addition, I am not only a collector but also a creator in the industry that I love.  Comic books helped me through my parents divorce when I was little, they helped me when I felt like an outcast, and they helped me when I meet the woman of my dreams.  Each and every event in my life, I can directly tie to a comic book in my collection.  So, sometimes when things are not going quite right or when I just want to relax, I return to these old friends, these comic books.  They are always there, ready and willing to share and lift my spirits.  As, I open the books and read the stories printed on the pages, everything, right down to the smell of the paper, takes me back to a simpler time, a happier time.  A time when I believed anything was possible, a time when the world seemed to me to be more of a wonderful place, filled with wonderful things, an innocent place, a place where anything could happen, a place where everyone you cared about and loved would always be with you.  Then, it happens the smile appears and renews within me that spirit, that belief that everything is going to be OK.  All my old friends surround me.  It’s been a while since I last saw them but I remember them all, and they all know me.  Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Hal Jordan, Wally West, and so many, many more, the gangs all here.

The Ties That Bind.  This is the connection that I am trying to describe, for haven’t all of the above mentioned comic book personas experienced their fair share of grief, of heartache and pain, and additionally, unimaginable heights of joy.  When they experienced all of these things, we were there; we experienced and shared all of their incredible highs, along with all of their incredible lows.  We are all family.  Blood alone does not make us family, there’s so much more that goes into it.  The ties that bind us also connect us.  Like threads we are each of us woven into a much larger existence by the people who enter our lives.  Each person whether real or fictional touches your life and leaves a mark for a reason.  To make us all the people we are, and in turn the people we are destined to be.

In addition, comic books, give us all hope.  They give us heroes to believe in, heroes that we need, heroes that help to get us through our daily lives, and the ups and downs that come with it.  They reaffirm for all of us, that if you fight the good fight, then you will ultimately win.

All of us know a true hero in our lives.  I know that, without a doubt, someone who has touched your life and for that made it better. So, tonight I’ll be breaking out those old comics and reconnecting with old friends.  I’m looking forward to it.