Dorky Superhero Moment

Yesterday, I went to an American comic book store to pick up the latest copy of Marvel Comics' "Civil War." While waiting at a sidewalk to cross a street in Causeway Bay, I was deep in thought about how my favorite comic book character, Iron Man is really overreacting and just way out of character in this series. Yes, my head was deeply lost in the land of dorks.

When the pedestrian signal changed from red to green, I was still lost in a daze standing at the sidewalk. For some reason, my eyes wandered and anchored on a mother holding the hands of her two young children. One child was a boy around 4 or 5 years of age and the other, a girl must have been 2 or 3 years old at most. The mother was dressed rather sharply in an off white business suit-like outfit while her children were dressed just as sharply as their mother.

The pedestrian signal post began to rattle its characteristically, loud and repetitive sound to indicate the signal would be changing back to red soon. I snapped out of my daze and watched as the mother lurched into the street holding both her children's hands tightly. I resumed my journey to the comic book store as I saw the mother trip in the middle of the street while still tightly holding onto her children's hands. The three of them were sprawled in the middle of the street.

At this point the pedestrian light ceased to make its loud noise, indicating the light was about to turn green for the cars. This is one of those moments when everything seems to run in slow motion. I could see the cars were revving their engines, while the mother was scrambling to her feet as quickly as she could. During this time my brain quickly assessed that I couldn't possibly help them all to their feet at once. So while the mother scrambled to her feet, fully intending to lift and possibly drag her children with her, I helped lift the girl to her feet so the mom could focus more on the older and slightly heavier little boy. We made very brief eye contact. She even verbally thanked me as she ran for the sidewalk while I stayed behind to make sure the cars clearly saw pedestrians were still in the middle of the street.

When I got to the sidewalk, I could see the mother consoling both crying children with hugs, kisses and apologies. They seemed fine so I continued on my. It all happened so fast. Yet I don't think I ever was completely out of my lazy, Sunday, hazy musings on superheroes. In that moment, in the middle of the street, in between those microseconds of adrenaline rush, I projected a dorky image of a superhero reacting to that situation. It was like I role played a fantasy moment in which I just reacted and then went on my merry little way.

Only when I was halfway down the block, did I snap out of my haze to think I should have stopped and talked to the pretty, well dressed mother to see if she was ok and needed any further help. I suppose I felt that moment was for her and her children to share. So I didn't want to disturb it. Instead, I kind of thought to myself, "My work here is done. Time to get some comics."

That was my first surreal, dorky superhero moment in HK.