Cape
Maker for Superheroes
Recently
I received a commission to design and manufacture capes for a pair of superheroes:
my two oldest grandsons. They were adopted from Ethiopia and Thailand,
respectively, and my first grandson’s birth name translates as “his history”
and my second grandson’s birth name means “good and clever.” Their mother—my stepdaughter—describes
their Ethiopian-Thai-American family life, especially the delicious parts, in
her blog: myextendedtable.blogspot.com,
and it was she who asked me to make power-appropriate apparel for them.
I’m
taking a break from sewing to report that, after giving it some thought, I have
decided not to invest my grandsons’ capes with specific powers. It’s tempting
to choose, say, the ability to Stay Innocent or the wisdom to Know Everything
Is Going To Be Okay. But Naïve Man and his sidekick Unrealistic Boy won’t get
them very far in this world. As they grow up, even in a relatively progressive
community, they’re going to need the gift of Wariness and the strength to
Overcome Racism. Yet hopefully they won’t turn into Mister Misanthrope or Sir
Victim.
I
trust each of my grandsons will develop the skills he needs not only to survive
traumatic situations but to thrive as his own unique self: Knowing Where I Come
From and Who I Am—including Whose I
Am, a sense of belonging—are essential for every one of us. So other than
making the boys’ collars with Velcro so they can’t choke one another, I’ll
leave it to their incredible imaginations to create their own powers.
Back
in the Middle Ages when Christians used to make regular pilgrimages to the Holy
Land, a chaplain would accompany a group on their journey, kind of like a
spiritual tour guide, tending to the pilgrims’ religious needs and carrying the
sacred elements. The word “chaplain” comes from the Latin word cappella, meaning “cap” or “cape,” for a
chaplain was someone who was willing to share their outer garment with a person
who had none, thereby sheltering under the same cover. This undoubtedly stems
from Jesus’ strategy that if someone sues you and takes your coat, you are to
give them your cloak as well. In other words, subvert your oppressors’ tactics and
disarm them with non-violence. Now that’s a powerful cape.
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