“Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look, up in the sky, there’s a bird …”

Well, I ‘m sure you know the rest of the beginning of the introduction to the “Superman” TV show.

Even though I am a 1960’s Batman fanatic, I have always considered Superman as a hero or role model in my youth. I’m sure most of you reading this know what I mean.

We had heroes, but do today’s youth have any?

For us, during the same time of Superman and Batman and spanning a few years earlier there was Zorro, the Long Ranger, Roy Rogers, Tarzan, Robin Hood, Wonder Woman, Popeye, Wonder Woman, “Rocky,” and even the Green Hornet to name a few.

Aside from the fictional characters, Rosa Parks, Babe Ruth, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. Mother Teresa, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Amelia Earhart, Mickey Mantle, Mark Spitz, and Muhammad Ali helped inspire us.

They all embodied character, truth, sacrifice, dedication, righteousness, and we all tried to emulate them the best we could. To put it in simple terms, all of the TV shows we watched and books we read had the underlining of striving to “do the right thing.”

We discovered later that some of them had skeletons in their closets, but we still remember the overall wholesome image they portrayed.

The fiber peace symbol became arguably the most recognized sign in the world.

To Kill A Mockingbird was viewed as a controversial novel, but it carried a virtuous message.

You probably ate enough bowls of Wheaties, too.

On our local front, most of us were inspired by a teacher, coach, policeman, clergy, or even a family member.

In the 1980s and beyond, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Mary Lou Retton, Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones were at the top of the lists.

As a youth in the 1960s, 70s, and even the 80s, we strived to stay on the straight and narrow path, and heroes were our GPS or Waze in our lives. We wanted to see good triumph over evil and we were scared usually to be linked to the dark side.

We all were stimulated and motivated by one or more individuals in the media framework.

However, where does today’s youth turn in reference to heroes?

Sure, the world has changed quite a bit from the past 40 to 60 years. Social media certainly has rerouted and transformed the path of today’s youth in terms of following a professional athlete, mythical figure, or public figure.

Today’s youth can still rely on teachers, clergy, coaches, and family members as inspiration, but we often see teachers and coaches become too abusive with their power.  

In the sports world, there’s Patrick Mahomes and Shohei Ohtani, and LeBron James at the apex of their domains.

Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani girls’ education activist and Nobel Prize winner, is among several who are considered heroes in international circles.

Yet, can you easily name or recognize anyone associated as a hero with youth in this country? You can’t easily rattle off a name like we could when we were young.

Formerly involved in education for 35 years, it does bother me.

Youth, like adults, are often rightfully depicted as zombies being led around by their iPhones or smartphones and frequently turning toward the darker side as a way of a quick laugh and a film opportunity.

There doesn’t seem to be an overall respect for authority, and society has helped shape that picture. We’re fortunate, though, to still have some youth looking for a presence to guide them.

We only say a prayer for the best, and we can still cling to the days of Superman and The Lone Ranger in our youth.

JEFF MOELLER | tneditor@tnonline.com