Everyday Heroes

Laura Gjovaag's always excellent Aquaman Website has posted information concerning an exhibit by New York photographer Dulce Pinzón inspired in part by iconic comic book superheroes. Entitled "The Real Story of the Superheroes," Pinzón's exhibit includes the scarlet speedster. In the photograph named after the Flash, the costume of the fastest man alive is granted to Álvaro Cruz from the State of México. Cruz works as a cook, he has been running with the New York team dubbed Los Compadres for seven years, and he sends home $300 per month.

After September 11, the notion of the "hero" began to rear its head in the public consciousness more and more frequently. The notion served a necessity in a time of national and global crisis to acknowledge those who showed extraordinary courage or determination in the face of danger, sometimes even sacrificing their lives in an attempt to save others. However, in the whirlwind of journalism surrounding these deservedly front-page disasters and emergencies, it is easy to take for granted the heroes who sacrifice immeasurable life and labor in their day to day lives for the good of others, but do so in a somewhat less spectacular setting.