I appreciate a bowl of oatmeal along with my morning dip into world events. I also like a sprinkle of brown sugar and good news whenever possible, please. Mostly, I just get the oatmeal. Sometimes there are strawberries.
I know for a fact that heart-warming things still happen around the globe, but we don't hear much about them. Maybe reports about people behaving well require more resources than struggling media outlets have at their disposal these days. Instead, here are some of the headliners on the breakfast menu: "Tulsa Deputy Says Killing Was a Mistake." "Shops Set Ablaze as Attacks Against Foreigners Spread in Johannesburg." "Boko Haram Slits Throats of 12 in Nigeria."
My mood plummeting, I'm ready to unplug and relegate the virtual newspaper to the worm bin, when I spot this headline: "Spider-Man to the Rescue." Could it be? It could. According to The AP, an 11-year-old boy with autism became so agitated in his Bangkok classroom he crawled out a third story window to escape whatever was upsetting him. Apparently nobody, including Teacher and Mom, could coax the kid away from the ledge until a firefighter named Somchai Yoosabai was called in. Apparently, the boy loves superheroes and for some undisclosed reason, Mr. Yoosabai (if that is his true identity) keeps a Spider-Man costume in his locker down at the firehouse. Spidey shows up on the window ledge. The boy, teary-eyed, spots his hero and walks into his open arms.
Pass the sugar.
In case any of you parents and teachers are wondering, you don't need a Spider-Man suit to coax a kid off a ledge. Maybe all you need is the compassion to go out there and sit with him.