Rebuilding Rob

As WordPress continues to recycle old prompts, I pulled another prompt from The Coffee Monsterz Co to respond to today

What is a hypothetical version of yourself that you would hate to become?

Now we’re getting into some alternate-reality stuff!

In DC comics, Superman has a villain named Bizarro. There have been many incarnations and rewrites of the Bizarro character, but the most famous example is a character who is like Superman, only…different. He hails from Bizarro world – a square planet where things are very much the opposite of “our” Earth. On Bizarro World, up is down, happy is sad… you get the idea. He is evil where Superman is good; and therein lies their conflict.

The most Star Trek franchise has also done a variation on this with their “mirror universe” concept. For the non-Trekkers, the Mirror Universe is an alternate reality where first appeared in the classic Star Trek episode “mirror mirror”. Here Captain Kirk was transported to an alternate universe where Starfleet was an aggressive empire. The Star Trek actors seem to like the Mirror Universe concept as it gives them a chance to step outside of their regular characters.

Then of course, there the Seinfeld episode “The Bizarro Jerry”. In it, Elaine dates a guy similar to Jerry, except he is thoughtful, considerate and he reads books. Jerry, the Superman aficionado, calls Kevin “the Bizarro Jerry”.

This will never happen, and I would hate myself if it did, but one hypothetical version of myself – one that I would hate to become – would be as a Trump supporter.

I suppose it would be easy for me to side with the people who claim that they’re looking out for my best interest; go along with a lot of other white heterosexual men in this country and support the Cheeto-in- chief. Hell, as it is, most people look at me and assume that I voted for the guy before I ever even say a word.

I could become all conservative – start complaining about taxes, bitch about the environmental safety protocols that are taking place. I could complain about people who don’t look like me; getting too many handouts and too many free rides. I don’t believe any of that, but That would be a nightmare prospect that I would not want to experience.

But it just ain’t me. I can’t do it. I care too much about other people. I wouldn’t want what’s happening to other people in this country to happen to me, so I certainly don’t wish it upon them.

It’s not even his policies I’m against. Yes, I hate his policies. But I dot see anything inspiring or charismatic about him – either in his personality or his ability as a public speaker. I can almost understand when some people are fascinated by the fact that “he says things short other politicians don’t say”. Well, there’s a reason that other politics DON’T say the things he says. I just cannot imagine a scenario – even I some twisted alternate reality – where I would agree with his policies or support him in any way.

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, 👍 comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts:

• Teacher Armor and the Saturday Clearing
• The Extra Day: A Ten-Year Memory
• Of Training Wheels and Christmas Lights
• Charity Starts at Home (And I’m Back in My Childhood One)
• The Muscle of Empathy

The article “Bizarro Rob” first appeared in Rebuilding Rob.