I AM BATMAN

“I am Batman.” There are a lot of people who say this on the Internet. 

However, I don’t think they have the money, the stamina, the willpower, or the dedication to a task that Batman has. But it is fun to think about it. My kids gave me “The Batman Handbook” a few years back.  “Take out the strongest guy first.  Keep Batarangs in your pocket…etc.”  Great tongue-in-cheek comedy, but what if there’s something there?

I wonder sometimes why I was such a comic book freak as a young reader. Superman, Spider-Man, Batman – these were the stories that I filled my head with. I never became Spider-Man, but if you saw me hanging out on the wall of the pool, you might have noticed that I was trying to figure out how it worked. I’ve never flown like Superman, but I will one day. I’m gonna fly…over the mountain… (Look up the band FFH if you need to know what I’m talking about.) 

There’s been a study that’s gotten a lot of press lately about giving elementary-age kids a challenge that is difficult, and almost 100% of them fail at the challenge. The experimenters then say, “Okay, buddy, this was hard, right? Now I want you to pretend that you are Batman and go out there and figure it out and get it done. You’re Batman, okay?” 

The results were amazing. They do better. They get closer to solving whatever this challenge is in this experimental situation. That’s pretty fascinating, isn’t it? What is it about Batman that would inspire a young person to try harder, to do better, to do what’s right and tough it out, to have some grit about whatever it is that they need to tackle? I was impressed. 

The persona of Batman is more curious than the superpowered folk in the comics and movies. He is constantly strategizing how to outwit evil, to think about how he needs to prepare himself to combat the forces of darkness. He works out, and he does research.  He does reconnaissance.  He talks to people who might give him info he will need to solve the crime or to get the criminal behind bars. 

In my little world of print manufacturing and being a continuous improver of my current plant, I am Batman. Continuous Improvement is detective work. (Once, in another plant, I put an image of Batman peering through a huge magnifying glass on the bulletin board with the statement, “Be a Kaizen Detective.”)  I’m always trying to figure out how I need to influence a process, and usually, it’s not roughing people up. But somewhat similar to the way Batman does, it IS by influencing people.  

Batman is portrayed today as rough and gruff, but the Batman I grew up with encouraged people to do the right thing. He was a mentor to many, including Robin, because he knew he couldn’t do it all by himself. The Batmans of today seem as though they want to be in the dark all the time and do it all by themselves.  

Plus, all the portrayals of Batman that I have read about or have seen in the movies are not looking for press. They’re looking for results. 

I’m not Batman, but I do play one at work, trying to build bridges instead of blowing them up, trying to influence others for the manufacturing good and maybe even the universal good. I might even save somebody. I know who the real savior is. I’m trying to be used by Him. I’m not a savior, but maybe somehow, I can be involved in that saving effort, too — by building relationships and saying to those around me, “Let’s consider this – it might work.” 

I drove my black MINI and thought I was cool pulling up in a unique car.  That was nothing compared to the Batmobile, right? No one is quite that cool.  I’m still shifting gears to find the right RPMs for work, home, and my personal missions.  Now YOU — GO BE BATMAN. I can’t do it alone.