Starting the new year with something fantastical produced both sincere and entertaining responses. Enjoy the replies as you imagine how satisfying it would be to have a truly useful superpower. In this column, adopted from the familiar “Heard on the Street” format, we offer our responders a chance to answer the question posed in the title. These are their replies reported verbatim:
My superpower would be to see the future. I’d never miss a forecast, always buy my supply at the right moment, and be out in front of any logistical challenges before they happen. Actually, isn’t that what we all attempt to do daily, weekly, monthly and annually anyway in this industry? Until this superpower comes to fruition, I’ll stick with doing my best to anticipate the things I can control and adapt to the things I cannot.
Boyd H. McGathey
Energy Distribution Partners
Parkville, Missouri
I am loving this question and find it difficult to choose. When I think about my life and what would be most beneficial to me and those who count on me, I’ve decided that teleportation would be my superpower — being able to travel from one location to the next without distance and time constraints for business meetings and events, then back home for soccer games and dance recitals, then out for a business dinner and home to tuck my people in, then back for after-dinner conversations.
Lauren Clark
Bergquist Inc.
Toledo, Ohio
If I may be a bit selfish on this one, I would like to be a superhero with binocular-like eyesight. I would like to be able to see things coming for miles! I have had low vision since birth and would love to see what people with normal vision see. And if I could go beyond that to superhero sight — perfect! Of course, if those eyes were set in a tall, attractive, blonde body, that would work, too.
Judy Taranovich
Proctor Gas
Proctor, Vermont
If I were a superhero, I would want the power to fly. This would be extremely useful for business. I travel quite a bit but hate dealing with airports.
I could wake up in the morning, walk outside to my back porch and take off to visit customers in California for lunch, then fly back to Texas for happy hour with customers in Houston. I’d never have to pay for airfare and never miss an industry outing. It would be great for business.
Thomas McSween
Valero
San Antonio, Texas
That’s an easy one. I would have the power to erase pain. There’s not a day goes by where you hear or see someone going through hard times; wouldn’t it be a wonderful power to remove the pain and replace it with peace?
Hayley Karicofe
AmeriGas
Churchville, Virginia
I would like to have the super power to protect all children from any issues that would impact their health and happiness so they could grow up feeling safe, loved and protected.
Hopefully, they would then have the ability to get along with each other and be able to work together for a brighter future and more unified country as adults — something that is sadly lacking these days.
Rosie Buschur
McMahan’s Bottle Gas
Dayton, Ohio
There are so many different superhero powers we would all like to possess for a variety of good reasons. Ideally, I’d like to combine three: super strength, super speed and flight. With those attributes, I could make myself into a viable candidate for the National Football League and be well paid. In reality, the superhero power I wish I had is the power to heal.
I cannot think of any other power better than the ability to heal another human being. Not sure if my vision of a special power would get me into a Marvel comic book, but I sure could do a lot of good for all.
Jerry Schimmel
P3 Propane Safety
Cumberland, Rhode Island
My superpower would be mind-manipulation. I would prevent people from behaviors, such as assuming, taking things for granted and overall lack of common sense.
Julie Johnson
Ted Johnson Propane
Baldwin Park, California
I would want the power of “healing.” (I actually had to Google superpowers, as I’m not very well versed in them!) I’m not sure superpowers typically can help others, but since we are in a fantasy world on this anyway, I’d want my superpower to heal other people, not just myself. With the devastating “Cs” of the world today (cancer and COVID-19), I’m longing for the world and people in it to be healthy and happy, and I’d want to use my superpower to help with that!
Susan Peterson
Rural Computer Consultants
Bird Island, Minnesota
If I were a superhero, my power would be the ability to organize anything into a spreadsheet. My kryptonite would be the phrase, “I don’t know why we do it that way; it’s just how we’ve always done it!”
Jason Soulon
Westmor Industries
Shawnee, Kansas
I am a die-hard Marvel Comics fan. I collected around 15 titles a month when I was a teenager, and they are all still sitting in my basement. Spiderman was my favorite, but I don’t think I would choose web slinging as my power. I think I would have to go with Black Bolt, the leader of the Inhumans. His power was his voice, which manufactured massive disturbances in the form of highly destructive shockwaves capable of leveling a city. Of course, this meant he could never actually talk — a bit of a downside. But hey, with this power, when I opened my mouth, people would really pay attention!
Leslie Woodward
Fairview Fittings
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Power Is in the Imagination of the Beholder
Mind control, teleportation, X-ray or even excellent vision, precognition, flight and a healing factor are some of the powers most desired by our colleagues. Just for fun, let’s consider how you may use any of these superpowers in your daily life:
- Clairvoyance (Would you share it with the world or keep it to yourself?)
- Time travel (Would Doc Brown’s DeLorean be handy in your busy life?)
- Immortality (The possibilities seem limitless!)
- Invisibility (Is this truly a useful power? In what circumstances?)
- Telepathy (Is your brain communicating with others’?)
- Superhuman strength (Can you picture tossing a bobtail across the yard?)
