Month-of-September's Christopher Reeve

       My September-born favorite is Christopher Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004).  You can read the basics about him in:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_reeve

       He was best known as the Superman actor and one of life's big real-life hero even if he became paralyzed from an accident.  I hope you enjoy the video I posted in this blog.  No matter what physical difficulties he had, he can still have fun with Ernie and Rubber Duckie. Superman actors have come and gone.  Among all the Superman actors I have seen, Christopher Reeve is my undisputed favorite.  Whether he glides in the air in the movies or lives paralyzed from the neck down in real life, he is still Super to me. I admire the Superman role he portrayed.  He understands that it isn't in the super powers that makes the character a Superman.  It is the character's wisdom --that he has when he decides when to use his powers-- which makes him a true Superman. He has quoted many interesting lines while he lived.  I found some from imdb.com.  

     There is more to read at:  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001659/bio  But, I listed what I love what he said about Superman:        

• "What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely. From an acting point of view, that's how I approached the part." 

• "I have seen first-hand how Superman actually transforms people's lives.  I have seen children dying of brain tumors who wanted as their last request to be able to talk to me, and have gone to their graves with a peace brought on by knowing that their belief in this kind of character is intact. I have seen that Superman really matters. They're connecting with something very basic: the ability to overcome obstacles, the ability to persevere, the ability to understand difficulty and to turn your back on it." 

• "[Jerry Siegel] and [Joe Shuster] created a piece of American mythology. It was my privilege to be the onscreen custodian of the character in the '70s and '80s. There will be many interpretations of Superman, but the original character created by two teenagers in the '30s will last forever."   

• [pn Superman's enduring popularity] "He's a friend. Everybody needs a friend. That's why he's still here."    
  

And other stuff I love best, too:        

• "Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean."  

• [talking about Robin Williams' visiting him in the hospital shortly after the accident] "There was this guy wearing a blue scrub hat and a yellow gown and with a Russian accent, being some insane Russian doctor . . . I laughed for the first time, and I knew that life was going to be okay."  

• "Your body is not who you are. The mind and spirit transcend the body."

• [on his post-accident role in Rear Window (1998) (TV)] "I was worried that only acting with my voice and my face, I might not be able to communicate effectively enough to tell the story. But I was surprised to find that if I really concentrated and just let the thoughts happen, that they would read on my face."

• "The key to success is letting the relationships in your life grow to the highest levels they possibly can . . . not putting yourself first in life and remembering that the more you give away, the more you have."

• "So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."        

• "I often refer to Abraham Lincoln, who said, 'When I do good I feel good. When I do bad I feel bad. And that is my religion.' I think we all have a little voice inside us that will guide us. It may be God, I don't know. But I think that if we shut out all the noise and clutter from our lives and listen to that voice, it will tell us the right thing to do."

• "A hero is someone who in spite of weakness, doubt or not always knowing the answers goes ahead and overcomes anyway."         

• "I refuse to allow a disability to determine how I live my life. I don't mean to be reckless, but setting a goal that seems a bit daunting actually is very helpful toward recovery."               

• "What you probably don't know is that I left New York last September and I just arrived here this morning. And I'm glad I did because I wouldn't have missed this kind of welcome for the world. Thank you."  [After he received a standing ovation when he appeared at The 68th Annual Academy Awards (1996) to present a film reel on how Hollywood has tackled social issues]

     Thank you for being you, Mr. Reeve.  I am grateful to be aware of a real Superman that transcends both Hollywood glamour and other exaggerated expectations of being a hero.      

:-( -> :-| -> :-)

DL   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you."

--A.A. Milne

Winnie the Pooh