There is that classic question, “Would you rather have super powers that would let you fly or become invisible?” My husband said that it was a stupid question, because of course the answer would be to fly. I replied that I would choose invisibility, because at least that would have practical uses (if you were a spy.) Having the power to fly can’t take you anywhere that something else can’t also do. Maybe you get there quicker. My thing is that I really don’t do heights, so why would I want to fly. But maybe if I could fly I would no longer be afraid of heights. Hmmm.
I had always thought if I could have a super power I would like to be able to make traffic lights turn green for me or find a good parking space. At least those things are practical. But today something occurred to me to change my mind.
I was at the library and wishfully checked out several books. I say wishfully, because the reality is that I probably won’t even start reading them before they are due back at the library. The ones I do start I will probably not have time to finish. I frequently read more than one book at a time (just about one for each room of the house that I hang out in) and it can sometimes take me more than a year to finish one book.
I wish I had more time to read, but also the slowness of getting through a book is because I do read really slowly. I don’t enjoy reading a book faster than I can hear the words in my head. I took a speed reading course once in college. So I know that I can read for information quickly and occasionally I will try and do it, but it hurts my eyes and takes a lot of effort to do. I have fallen to listening to audio books, because I can do that while I’m doing housework.
All that aside, I realized today what I would really love to be my super power. I looked at all these books on the shelf and would have picked out a dozen (I only got three.) I thought to myself as I looked at the covers (front and back) of these books, “What is your story?” I really wanted to know the story of those books, but I knew I would never have the time to find them out. I would love to have the ability to touch a book and immediately know it’s story if I chose to. That would be my super power. What would you want your super power to be?
