I have a tattered old poster from Fort Bragg that lists Murphy’s Laws of Combat.

Number one of the thirty-something rules is: You Are Not A Superman.

We are not super-beings of limitless might. We are but mortal! The poster means to tell us to watch ourselves so we don’t get in over our heads. That’s good advice, because sometimes our need to excel can push us well past the point when we should have stopped. A human can only do so much. We can only work for so long, struggle through just so much pain, and give of ourselves only so much effort until we collapse.

But I have seen men of steel.

As I began writing this, it was between long hours of coordinating a Hurricane Katrina relief effort. Men and women were in a serious hazard zone trying to rescue people, clear debris and contain a massive biohazard, and putting themselves in increasing danger to do so. Human strength, ingenuity and willpower were accomplishing superheroic miracles amidst disaster. It occurred to me, while on a supply run taking in clothing, food, medicine, generators and other goods to Louisiana, that they’re all doing what Superman would do in the same situation.

Superman would use his super-strength to pull downed trees out of the way so rescue vehicles could get in. Regular people were doing that, using winches and bulldozers. Backhoes run by volunteers were clearing the way for whatever means we could find to carry refugees to shelter.  …