Think Think Think

So far I've seen two episodes. We've gotten to know Rose and watched her become a companion of The Doctor.  We've seen her react to alien cultures and to the shock of traveling the universe in a time traveling Police Box.
Rose was dissatisfied with her life on Earth. She had dropped out of school so that she could be closer to her boyfriend who had apparently dumped her. At the beginning of the show she was working in a shop and dating, but she wanted something more. She was thinking about getting the equivalent of a GED (see her conversation with Mickey in the Restaurant). Because of the choices she had made in life, even at a young age (19) she didn't have a lot of options to improve herself.
Then she meets the doctor and everything changes. The intellect and skills that she has work for her even in the most difficult situations with him. It doesn't matter that she doesn't have a diploma. She can think on her feet. And how important is that? Very!
This makes me think about one of the reasons that this show is so popular. Normal people with normal and almost boring lives in some cases are given a chance to use their own skills and abilities with the doctor to become something extraordinary. Its hard for any of us to escape our own lives and the thing is that most of us believe that we could be capable of so much more if only we had the chance. Watching Doctor Who gives us the chance to do that, to see a normal person do something extraordinary.
Do we really have to leave our planet to do that though? I'm not a nurse, but I have worked in a hospital. The folks working in healthcare save lives every day. There are times where if someone didn't show up to work, people would literally die. In my opinion, doctors and nurses are real superheroes. All over the world there are people in need.  There are natural disasters where people need someone to help them with food, rebuilding, and cleanup.  These are all things that regular people can do. We don't have to be superhero or climb in a blue box and travel the cosmos to be extraordinary. There are opportunities all around us if we just look.  If you can't travel there may be places in your home town where volunteers are needed or where children need tutoring, or the elderly need companionship.
No, most of us can't save a planet, but what the doctor is famous for is helping those who are helpless. All of us can do that here in real life. If you are homebound and can't move, ask your local church or charity if you can make phone calls to other shut ins so they don't feel alone.  We can all do something.
You may feel like because you can't save a planet, its not worth trying to do anything. But here's the thing: To some child or adult that you've helped, you may mean the world to them.