Contrary to what you might think, superheroes are grossly underpaid. Yes, yes... it's altruism that drives them — a mission to make others' lives better somehow is, at its core, the opposite of greed. But even Mighty Morphin Power Rangers need walking-around money. Hey, any taxpayer can tell you that battling evil doesn't come free.

Power Rangers wear helmets to protect their secret identities, so I'm not at liberty to give you any information about who this person is. But I know a guy who used to be one — he morphed into a red spandex-clad hero to create happy memories at parties for kids.

One day, he got lost on the way to an appearance. The party host had given bum directions. Can't a guy doing his part to inspire good in the world catch a break? His car was on fumes until payday.

His car sputtered to a stop right in front of a Domino's Pizza. What a stroke of luck! Surely any delivery guy would understand! So this superhero in distress straightened his battle suit, and went into the pizza joint to find a kindred spirit to lend a hand.

I have to assume the guy behind the counter didn't see this coming. When was the last time you encountered a Red Power Ranger asking to use the phone... and perhaps for directions... and, if you could spare it, a couple of bucks for gas? Would you have seized an opportunity like the pizza guy did?

"I'll give you five bucks if you wait for my wife to get here with our kid."

Deal.

Who knows if any of the birthday boys and girls this hero entertained remember him fondly, but I bet five bucks the pizza guy's family does. Superheroes may be underpaid, but as long as they've made someone's life a litter better somehow, they've done their job.

I'm telling this story for Theme Thursday, because this week's topic is RED. It's the color of love, which is appropriate, because I love this tale for several reasons. It's a reminder that no situation is insurmountable. And that there's always room to negotiate.


Shameless Plug:
Hey, speaking of RED... it's also the color of gift bows. And I'm giving away a gift from allbarstools.com next Monday! You can enter to win by commenting here. Good luck and thanks for playing!