Our cover photo for this issue features Liam (pictured in the red mask) and Easton (blue mask) Brown. They’re the twin sons of two long-time Progressive Publishing employees, Kevin and Jackie Brown. Kevin serves as the lead for our production department, and Jackie works in circulation.
When the initial proofs came in from the photo shoot, I thought it would be fun to have the entire superhero-loving family share what superpower they’d most like to have. (I then asked our producer bloggers, editorial advisers and editorial staff to share their thoughts too. See their responses "In your own words: What super power would you choose?")
Easton says, “I want teleportation. So I can teleport out of school!”
Liam says, “I would like invisibility because I would be able to go invisible and go behind the bad guys and punch them.”
Kevin says, “I would like the ability to fly. I would save a boatload of money not having to buy gasoline. Assuming that this ability to fly would also include the ability to hover in the air, putting the Christmas lights on the house and taking them down would be a snap. Standing on the ladder, shakily reaching to my limit to prune the fruit trees would be a thing of the past. Not to mention the cool superhero pose that you get to do when you land, knees bent, one fist on the ground and the other fist triumphantly raised behind you. I would love to feel the exhilaration of flying with speed and agility through twists and turns. That would be thrilling if it didn’t set off my motion sickness.”
Jackie says, “For me I think I’d like night vision and 20/20 vision [perfect vision]. I know that doesn’t sound super exciting, but for someone that has needed glasses and contacts for many, many years [since childhood], I’d love to just see without a problem and see at night clearly without being worried about what I can’t see in the distance or shadows. I’d also love not having an issue with oncoming cars’ headlights bothering me.”
Looking back through the responses, I wish I’d thought to get a few more responses from kids. The adults’ replies are just too practical. I’m afraid my choice of superpower is rather boring as well, as at this stage in life, I’d most like to have Mary Poppins’ ability to snap clothes, toys and sheets back into their proper place.
As we head into June Dairy Month, I encourage you to think about – for fun – what superpower you’d chose. And then, more seriously, I’d like you to think about how that power might relate to strengths you already have and can recognize in yourself. And finally, think about how you can use those strengths to talk about agriculture and promote dairy this month.
A popular response on superpowers was the ability to fly and/or teleportation. If you fall in that camp, perhaps you already have a strong interest in traveling. During June Dairy Month, you could share with your friends and social media followers how dairying is done in different parts of the country or the world. Others talked about superpowers that would come in handy on the farm – cloning themselves, super strength or the ability to diagnose an animal and then cure it. This seems like a great opportunity to talk about the various roles dairy farmers have and the strengths required to run a farm.
We may not be superheroes in real life or have otherworldly powers, but we all have our strengths, and we all have a vital role in the dairy industry. Happy June Dairy Month!
