For most of my life, I lived in blissful obscurity. Throughout my work in music education (where my 12-year-old son calls me "King of the Band Nerds"), until June 29th, 2015, I was able to meander from place to place in the same obscurity that 99.9% of the planet enjoys.

What happened on that day that so transformed my life? I'll tell you.

The movie Ant-Man was released.

Since that day, I cannot rent a car, reserve a hotel room, buy a lightbulb, or pay for a pizza without someone saying, "Oh my goodness, YOU'RE ANT-MAN." Just this week, I called a local restaurant to order a pizza, and instead of being greeted by, "Thank you for calling Venezia's, how can I help you?" he screamed, "OMG! IS THIS ANT-MAN? I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. I'VE WAITED MY WHOLE LIFE TO TALK TO YOU!"

When this happens, and it happens a lot, I always respond with a smile, and I can usually fake enough laughter to make them believe they are the first person ever to call me that. But if I were to be honest, it kind of irritates me.

Maybe my frustration is because it seems like a small man joke. Perhaps it's exacerbated by the fact that I went from #1 in the Google rankings for Scott Lang to 357,000,000 (that is an actual number, by the way). It's also plausible that it's because I spent my entire childhood hearing "Beam me up Scotty," which left me loathing all things science fiction. Or maybe, just maybe, it's something else.

Maybe, it gets under my skin because I'm NOT Ant-Man.

I wish I had superpowers. I wish I was a genius who could save the day. It would be awesome if I could go toe to toe with bad guys, rescuing people from death, destruction, and mayhem. As I said, I wish I WAS Ant-Man.

Perhaps, I'm jealous he has superhuman strength, and can change sizes. Maybe I am envious because he is uber fast and has an extremely high intellect. It's also conceivable that I am just a wee bit bitter because he (Paul Rudd) was just named People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive," while the same said publication refers to me as "owner occupant."

Yes, I am mad. Mad at Scott Lang. Because, well, I'm not THAT Scott Lang. I'm not Ant-Man.

And, to be fair, neither are you. Do you know who else you aren't? You're not Batman, Superwoman, or the Hulk. As long as we're making a list, you're not Iron Man, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, or Aquaman. You don't talk to fish, do you?

Do you know how I know you're not one of those people? (Other than the fact that they aren't real?) Because they have superpowers, and you don't! You may THINK you are a superhero, but YOU'RE NOT.

I think it's fantastic that you want to change the world through your classroom. It's admirable that you want every child to experience the joy of making music. It's incredible that you want to infuse social-emotional lessons into your twelve-minute, taught during your lunch hour, heterogenous, dual language, hybrid ensemble, that meets in the janitor's closet. It's laudable and applaudable. But, there's just one small problem...

YOU'RE NOT A SUPERHERO. Wait, double-check. Are you wearing a cape? No? That proves it. Yes? Well, that proves something very different.

Now that we know what you aren't, would you like to know what you are? You are HUMAN.

(exhale)

Humans, yourself included, require rest, sustenance, and oxygen. We need safe shelter, warmth, and protection from things that want to hurt us. But, we need more than those basic requirements required for primal survival.

Humans need to experience pain, love, and loss. They need to cry & laugh, sometimes at the same time. We mere mortals need hope, a sense of purpose, and a belief that they are making a difference in someone's life. They need to know that their life means something and that they matter.

Yes, you are human.

So, for today, what do you say you take the cape off your back and pat yourself in that same place. Shut down your newsfeed, skip the news sites, and ignore the texts. Pass on Tik-Tok, and don't spend an insta on Insta! Breaking news? The only thing breaking is YOU, cracking under the pressure of unreal expectations, a brutal workload, and not enough time and rest.

Let me repeat. You are not a superhero.

But, I promise you, just like a caped crusader, people are grateful that you SHOWED UP during this time of need. You are fighting the good fight, using your powers, and saving the day. You may not be a superhero, but you are super, and a hero to a lot of people.

But let's leave the cape off for the rest of today.

Have a great week!

Scott