The Daily Planet - Sunday, Jan. 18th, 2015 - Human Interest
Meet Clark Kent
By Clark Kent
Photo by James Olsen
Hi. Clark Kent, Daily Planet. Allow me to tell you a little about myself.
First, let me ask you this. Would you believe me if I told you that I get paid to sit at a computer and write about myself for the biggest metropolitan newspaper in the world? Because that is exactly what I do. No, don't quote me on that. Let me elaborate.
I get paid to write about Metropolis. Not the city itself, but the people in it. From Bakerline to Queensland Park. From Hob's Bay to the West River. There's always someone, somewhere who has a story to be told. And I tell it for them.
What's this have to do with me, you ask?
Well, I'm one of those people. I'm a part of Metropolis. Far as I'm concerned, I am Metropolis. We all are. We're its heart, its mind, and its very soul. Without us, it's just a bunch of metal and stone. But with us? With us, Metropolis is the City of Tomorrow. That makes us the people of tomorrow.
So, yeah, when I'm out there interviewing the homeless, our heroes down at the M.P.D., Met General, and the fire department, the innovators over at S.T.A.R. Labs, and the hardworking men and women that populate this city, I feel as much a part of it as the glass and concrete that scrape the very sky above. Yeah, yeah. I know. I was born and raised a country kid. Came over here from rural Kansas to make my mark on the big city. And while I'll always be that Smallville farm-boy on the inside, I've grown to love this city just as much as my humble hometown.
If you read the paper, chances are you read the Planet. And if you read the Planet, it's more than likely you've stumbled across and maybe even skimmed through my column. You may take notice of how invested I become in the topic I'm writing about. How much voice I put into it, whether it's something as simple as stating that we need to look out for our fellow man, or it's something as bold and controversial as pointing out the wrong doings of the city's most respected and seemingly infallible benefactors. Why put so much thought and effort into some meager little newspaper pieces, you ask? I'll tell you.
I've had a passion for journalism since around high school. I started out writing for the school paper and eventually did some traveling and freelancing while attending various schools across the country until finally earning a degree in journalism. Then I took my passion and decided to explore the world with it, working with various papers to tell the words people needed to be told. And boy, were there some powerful stories out there.
What drives me to be so involved isn't in order to make a living. I mean, were that the case, why be a reporter? No, I do it because of the beliefs I was raised on. It sounds corny, but tell me- what's so funny about truth, justice, and the American way? I know what you're thinking.
"But America has lost its way."
You're thinking too narrow. I'm not talking the American government; I'm talking us. The people. Just like with Metropolis, we are what makes this nation. And as long as there are those of us out there who believe in those noble principles, there's no telling what good we can accomplish. Again, corny, yes. But who says corny's always a bad thing? Is it bad to have faith in your people? Is it bad to believe in a better future?
I don't think so.
Anyway, before this turns into one big lecture, let me tell you how this plays into my writing. I was raised in Smallville, as you know. Adopted by two kind, loving people who raised me to be the man you read from today. They taught me that if you have an opportunity to do good by someone else, anyone else, that it's your moral obligation to do it. That's why I give spare change to anyone who needs it. That's why I offer compliments to complete strangers to improve their day. And that's why I write what I write, how I write it. I write to make a difference. To do my fair share of good in the world. Truth and justice, that's what I'm all about. I expose injustice and I shed light on people whose voices demand to be heard.
You may be thinking I'm naive and just one man can't make any real difference, and at one point, I actually fooled myself into believing that too. I considered giving it all up, quitting journalism and everything I've worked so hard for my whole life. But then I listened to the people whose stories I'd been telling. I listened to the citizens whose lives had been changed for the better because of my words.
My writing.
It took a close friend of mine to make me realize that, and to remind me of who I really am.
I'm Clark Kent.
So there you have it. That's me. Mild-mannered reporter for the world's biggest metropolitan newspaper. If you're still reading this and I haven't bored you half to sleep, thank you for your time and I hope you've learned something today. That one person can make a difference. Small or large, your actions matter. Your words matter.
And I'll be here, doing my best to make sure the world reads them.