Why BatKid Matters
Unless you managed to avoid the internet on Friday, November 15, you know that a 5-year old boy named Miles Scott, who has been fighting leukemia since he was 20 months old, was granted a wish by Make-A-Wish -- to be "BatKid."
The best news in all of this is that Miles is actually now in remission - but nobody but his family would know that if not for Friday. Because Miles got his wish - and entranced anybody and everybody who heard about it.
You may know the specifics of what he did - it started with a plea from the "Gotham" Police Chief (really the SF Police Chief). BatKid, along with Batman, then rescued a damsel in distress, locked up the Riddler and saved Lou Seal from the Penguin at AT&T Park. As they arrived, crowds were packed near the Batmobile Lamborghini (which had a booster seat for 5-year old Miles), cheering him on with signs, etc.
By far, the coolest part about it (aside from trying to imagine what this was hopefully like for Miles) the way it wasn't just a few actors and the always generous San Francisco Giants - the whole city showed up.
Well, not the whole city - but literally tens of thousands of people lined the streets for BatKid. It's not just that he's a cancer survivor. Miles GOT TO BE BATMAN. And people LOVED it, loved being even a supporter from afar.
Messages were sent from organizations and other cities. Our mayor gave BatKid the key to the city, and he was presented with a proclamation from the Justice Department of the arrests of the Penguin and Riddler. (He also got some police and FBI swag - "from one crime fighter to another.")
If the @49ers sign #SFBatKid we have no shot Sunday :) Well done Miles Scott, San Francisco & @MakeAWish
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 16, 2013
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Expand this to see what the Chronicle published to honor this. Quite cool.
The cynical and overly practical among us would ask ... sure, this was an extremely awesome thing for folks to do for a kid, but WHY did so many of us respond to this?
Speaking personally, I was fixated on it - and often extremely emotionally moved by it. It was a good thing I was working from home, because it would have gotten a bit awkward sitting with my co-workers with tears a-flowing.
I love the idea that a kid could do this - and that so many people immediately knew how RIGHT this was, and what a thing we could do if and when we want to. It seems like most of what our every day lives are about is dealing with the fact that people can't agree on things - politics, sports, relationships, movies - you name it.
But with BatKid? It's 100% awesome. I don't know if every city would have fully committed to this in the way that San Francisco did. I know that among other things, today felt VERY San Francisco to me.
It happened because a foundation like Make-A-Wish exists, and that they got a wish submitted by Miles that said, "I want to be BatKid." I donated today, and it was tough because the website was clearly being pounded by traffic (apparently, it eventually even went down). That's the biggest reason why BatKid was important, because it helps ensure that other kids will have their wishes made awesome, too.
Feel free to donate yourself, by the way.
But, I do think there's something more - it felt so good to see this, and partake in it even from the distance of the internet - I think it's important to remember that we CAN do things like this. We can all be awesome. We're NOT ... at least, not most of the time. But, the reminder that things like this can happen and really aren't that hard to do... that's a good lesson.
And in some way ... isn't that what a SUPERHERO is supposed to do to the people? To inspire them and make them feel like all can be right with the world? I think so.
Thanks, BatKid.