"That'll Do Pig, That'll Do."

I was on the EL, the Red Line, making the long trip downtown. There are (this is an exaggeration) about a million stops along the way. It's an odd place, riding in an EL car in the middle of the day; you get a real diverse, cross-section of urban humanity. It was a gray day, many of them are, and the crowd too seemed to be made up of infinite shades of gray. Dosen't anyone believe in color?

I was in an expansive mood, taking in the scene, marvelling at the sound and fury of the train, the endless flux and flow of people in and out of the little rolling room. Who's coming in now? People of every age, shape and size. Men with babies in strollers, women with tatoos, sports-bar people, old-timers, hip-hop kids, business-types, street people.

I sat in meditation mode, straight-backed, shades down, breathing deep and freely. I looked up and saw a bold, colorful poster which asked the question: REMEMBER WHEN YOU WANTED TO SAVE THE WORLD? There was a picture of a little African-American kid, about six years old, in a swimsuit, googles, wearing a towel tied around his neck like a cape. He looked up at the camera with a smile of friendly optimism. He was a little Superhero, ready to do good.

I thought to myself, yes, I remember, in fact, I still want to save the world. If I had superpowers I'd immediately halt global warming, repair and replenish the rainforests, cleanse all the oceans, eradicate AIDS, halt all wars, defuse all bombs, feed, clothe and house all human beings everywhere, spread love and good cheer across the planet. Kind of an ambitious program.

Instead, I sat in that little car, waiting for my stop. I looked around at the humanity all around me. I broke into a grin, thinking my job wasn't to judge the modern world, but to participate in it with heart and soul. Not exactly superhero stuff, but it would have to do.