Ten years ago a story started. It was about a young boy in Kansas discovering his unique abilities, how he could use them for the better of humanity, and how he must deal with the journey from boy to man. In October 2001 Tom Welling starred as Clark Kent in the new WB television show, Smallville. For ten years we all watched Welling take Clark thru trials and tribulations as he became The Man of Steel.
For over a decade I watched Clark Kent, each week, try to deal with the awkwardness of growing up, find the wisdom to decide what is right and wrong, and how the experiences he had shape who he would become. When Smallville premiered I was a senior in high school, on the precipice myself from boy to man. As I graduated from high school, went through college, and tried to find my place in the world, Clark Kent was right there with me. I could always relate to him because I felt like we were going through similar situations.
Clark Kent and I both grew up in the mid-west. We both have loving parents who tried their best to teach us a strong sense of morality. I too had a fortress of solitude on the second story of a barn. Although just to reassure Jenna, I never spied on the girl next door. Much like the same way Clark felt about Lana I was naïve enough to think that the girl I was in love with in high school was the girl I was destined to be with. I screwed up quite a lot trying to do the right thing for the wrong reasons. When I look back at the times I acted selfish, and hurt those I cared about the most, I try to remember if I was wearing a red kryptonite ring or not.
As I grew up I realized I couldn’t stay home. I had to make my way in the world. I guess that’s where Clark and I didn’t appear so similar. I couldn’t wait to leave, while Clark tried to stay on the farm as long as possible. The more I ventured away from home the more comfortable I felt with myself. Though I missed my friends from my childhood they would always be with me. I made other friends along my journey who I shared common interests with, ones that I still consider my best friends to this day. Though we differ on who we are, we all share the same values, and helped each other become better people.
Just like the Justice League, my friends and I eventually scattered all across the country. If I was Clark then my friend Bryce is Impulse. He moves fast, and sometimes acts without thinking, but he has a good heart, and I know he will always be there for me. Taking the role of Aquaman would be Andrew. He has a strong sense of who he is and what he believes in. He sometimes is quick with his emotions, but that just makes him a passionate person. Theresa fills the role of Black Canary as a girl who is hard to read sometimes, but other times seems like she wears her heart on her sleeve. The person I disagree with most, but also respect the most, is my friend Al. As my Green Arrow, Al and I see the way things should be done differently, which is why I sometimes become frustrated with him. But we always come back to the fight on the same side. There was also a person I knew during the past ten years I once called a friend for a while. Until one day I realized he was the opposite of everything I was and what I believed in. Rounding out my league is Lois Lane, my wife.
When Lois met Clark in a field he wasn’t in the best place in his life, and neither was I when I met Lisa. Lois was a little bossy, strong willed, and always had an opinion about everything. This bugged Clark because at the time was still so unsure of himself. He never even thought he was meant to be with Lois until it hit him right on the forehead. I know the feeling. Our wives push us to be better men than we thought we could be, and lets us know that no matter what happens there is always someone in our corner. The summer that Lisa and I became close was when we spent it watching the first five seasons of Smallville on DVD.
When I think back at Smallville it has many meanings to me. As a Superman fan I found it was a good interpretation for people who think comic books are silly or that Superman can’t be relatable in modern days. Despite the last few seasons I found it very entertaining. It had a great mixture of fantasy, drama, and laughter with a terrific cast to back it all up. Finally, spending almost 3 months with Lisa, sharing with her a show I loved to watch, it was the beginning of something I never saw coming that would last forever. Clark and I both started out trying to be comfortable with ourselves. We both wanted to know where we belonged, and we both had to let go of our first loves to realize something better was right in front of us. Clark Kent and I have been through a lot together, and I’ll miss him, but it’s time to put on the suit, literally, and be my own Superman.
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