In life, you are going to deal with people who are not going to believe in you. You are going to deal with people for whatever reason will seem to just doubt what you do. Some people are naturally pessimistic. It is what it is. However, I charge you to not fall for that. Be your own hero if you have to. In whatever you do in life, you have to be your own cheerleader, advocate, fan, encourager, ect. You can win titles, snatch wigs, bulldog all competition and someone will still doubt your abilities. What matters most is that you do not doubt your abilities. In issue 16 of Delta Dogs. Quan, the leader of the Delta Dogs finds himself not fully believing in his cousins to fight their enemies. Some of his cousins are confused by his lack of being transparent and willing to share. Quan is only reading the board. However, he fails to encourage his cousins at the time regardless. He simply dismisses them as being "not ready". Now one might ask is Quan right or wrong? I think leaders understand certain things and he even admitted as much that its more to this hero business than just having powers. Just because you have powers does not mean you will win with those powers, Its a fair assessment but Quan isn't absolved in his responsibility to his younger cousins who are afraid and do not necessarily have total control of their powers.
Vonnell, the youngest is always being pushed aside and left behind because he hasn't mastered his powers. Yet, where is the encouragement from the fam? Sure, he might be too young but you have to encourage and push. Too many people are dismissive of one another. It is this same mindset that can cause a person to second guess themselves. Someone can sow a seed of doubt in your head and mess up the path of life you are on! At a tender and young 54 years of age, I can tell you that many people fail and will not be able to do much of nothing if they do not learn how to empower themselves. THe bible tells us that if we just have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can order mountains to be moved. Now in the literal sense of the word, it is not even practical to think that way. However, the spiritual application is spot on. Vonnell, the youngest of seven cousins learns this as he is in a position where he has to have faith in his powers. He had to shut out all the negative talk and the self doubt and create space where faith can manifest. In short, he had to believe in himself. He had to face his fears and find his own encouragement. When I first read the story of Delta Dogs in issue 1, we see Vonnell as a wide eyed kid who was precocious. He among all his cousins seem to have more fortitude and desire. No he did not have experience, no he did not manifest his powers at the same time and with the same control. However, before he even recieved powers, he already had powers. He believed in himself. He was naive but all of us are to a certain extent. Trials and tribulations tend to meld us into wisdom but that youthful spunk is almost magical. Earth Wind and Fire admonishes us to "stay young at heart". A young heart is a tender heart. Whereas an old heart can be callus or stony. The cares of this world have caused many people to be bitter. They grow to be bitter and feed everyone around them that same bitterness. Their lives are filled with words like "They dont" "They wont". For that reason, they cannot see themselves because it is always about someone else. They are so busy looking for a hero, someone to save them. However, the cat in the mirror does nothing for them because life has beaten them down. Life has showed them to be the enemy. For that reason, the villians continue to come back stronger and stronger. There is a saying attributed to man named Edmund Burke, an Irish statesman. He says "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.". That is nearly an understatement. You have to have hope, otherwise what you have is apathy. Apathy kills movements. It kills dreams. The hero who cannot dream is no hero at all. He is an antihero in my humble opinion. Imagine as a kid hearing the story about the little train that could only to find out that the little train did not even care if he did. Vonnell from Delta Dogs was always told he was too young and not good enough due to his lack of mastery of his powers. Yet, time and circumstance dictated that when it was necessary, he came through. He had to be his own hero. That's life my guy. Be your own hero no matter what! -Richard J Wright
