Captain America is my Tutor

I hope my kindergarten teacher will never get to read this because she will find out that the thank you letter that I gave her on our graduation day is simply full of lies.

Well, I showered her with a lot of cut-out hearts from a sheet of red art paper with a message that says, “Thank you for teaching me how to read.”

First, it was my aunt who wrote it. Second, I learn to read through the help of my favorite kiddie stuff Funny Komiks (something that kids in the 80’s can relate to).

Now, that’s a relief on my part after finally able to release a white lie I’ve been carrying all my life for decades.  God bless you, mam and if ever there is one thing that I learned from you that I still practice today and plan to pass to my child, that would be your everyday reminder to look to the left and right every time I cross a street. 

I have my weekly dose of Funny Komiks for years until an earth-shattering day came: the owner of my favorite newsstand just informed me that Niknok, Planet of the Apes, and Lilit Bulilit just bid goodbye after their publisher decided to devote to producing song hits magazine (just a hypothesis).  It was one of the saddest moments of my young life.  To make it worst, Pong Pagong ang Kiko Matsing mysteriously vanished from Batibot a week later.  I thought there was a conspiracy because OPM artists started to be seen sitting underneath the Batibot tree singing their hits instead of “Isda…dada, isda!” or “Alagang alaga namin si Puti.”   How come we never got to see the lyrics of “Ako ay kapitbahay” and “Alin ang naiba” in any song hits? Those songs where HUGE hits then next to the Eat Bulaga and Voltes V theme song.

Good thing, I was able to survive my elementary years without those things I consider then as growing up essentials.  Then, I got hook with this foreigner introduced to me by a classmate in high school.  I was 13 and he was what? 83? I wear a white polo and a pair royal blue slacks (the same shades with the one our security guard wore) for uniform while he is in red, white and blue.  I was a Filipino student, he was an American Hero.  Up to now, I’m still looking for any similarity between us to explain how I got fascinated with him.

But if there is one thing I owe to the guy, he helped me passed the agonizing world of History class.  So let me introduce to you, Captain America, my tutor.

For those people who live under the rock, here a summary of Captain America’s life courtesy of www.imdb.com:

He is Marvel Comics character from World War II. A brave, yet mild-mannered young soldier named Steve Rogers, volunteers to undergo a series of experiments for a US army Super Soldier program. The military succeeds in transforming him into a human weapon, but quickly decide that their Super Soldier is far too expensive a creation to risk in combat. So, they decide to put him to use as an army celebrity and parade him across Europe to boost morale by performing in USO shows for American troops. He is even given a costume that bear the colors of Old Glory for the stage. Then, when a Nazi plot reveals itself Rogers must rise up and become the First Avenger, in order to save his country. Steve Rogers becomes Captain America and he earns his way into the hearts and souls of every American, bringing hope and justice to a war-weary nation. Later, during a mission to Germany to stop his archenemy - The Red Skull, from launching rockets at the allies, Captain America sacrifices himself and winds up frozen in ice for almost six decades! Revived, Steve Rogers now must join forces with new heroes and become an Avenger of the modern age.   

Now, how the heck did he become my tutor, you may ask.  It just happened that the setting of Captain America’s adventures and battles were during the world wars and other global events.  From WWI to the Rise of Communism and other recent historical events, he was there to save humanity bearing the American colors.  He also had shared a few frames in his comic books with real-life personalities like the infamous Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, former US President Franklin Roosevelt and others.  While reading his adventure, I was able to learn things that were actually discussed in our History class.  You know what they say, learning something is easy when you are enjoying it.

If only Captain America had tried fighting Chemistry and Trigonometry freaks, I could have had a chance to be our class Valedictorian. 

But seriously, this hero who uses an impeccable disc-shaped shield made from an experimental alloy of steel and the fictional vibranium is more than just a fictional protagonist for me.  It has been a part of this journey called my life, especially during those times that I needed an inspiration and a push to get through some obstacles I met along the way. He made me believe the unbelievable!

That’s why it was a delight to see one of my favorite superhero gets the spotlight he truly deserves, from an upcoming blockbuster movie to the many products bearing the famous star on red, white and blue seen in malls and all over the internet.  Captain America is back to teach more lessons in life and bring out the superheroes within us as he shout out, "Avengers, assemble!"

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