Kryptonite is said to be Superman’s only weakness. Everytime he comes in contact with the radioactive element, he loses his powers. It seems as if he becomes even less than human. It’s no wonder the word has become synonymous with the one person who can make you crumble.
When I was still in college I met a woman who worked in PR. She was gorgeous, successful and to an impressionable 20-something-year-old old like me, she was everything I wanted to be when I “grew up”. She just seemed so fucking cool. Strong. Witty. Bad ass. Little did I know, she was in a not so ideal relationship with her boss. Who was married. And whenever she was around him, one could see her shrink. She would go from Cleopatra Queen of the Nile to a little vulnerable, naive little girl. He was her kryptonite.
Everyone has their own special type of kryptonite. That one person you just can’t resist. That one person you can’t say “no” to. They’re the one person who can do no wrong – even when you know that they know they’re wrong. The one person you’ve given three, too many chances to. The one person you want to fix. You make excuses for them. You take the blame. You glorify their potential. You ignore who they really are. You fall apart. Because they know exactly how to get to you. The right, wrong things to say. The buttons to push. And the heart strings to pull.
I always find it absolutely mind-boggling, not to mention heartbreaking when I see someone of such stature crouch into fetal position from someone that doesn’t deserve them. Sometimes fighting an entire galaxy can seem easier than resisting that ONE person. Just remember that they’re human too. They’re not Magneto, Mystique, or even Lex Luthor. He’s just a man (or woman) – nothing less, nothing more. So when you’re done weeping into your superhero cape, remember that there was once a well deserved “S” on that chest before he ripped your heart right out from under it.
BTW, I’m sure kryptonite wasn’t Superman’s only weakness.