Sidekicks: What Makes A Good One?
It dawned on me today that the heroine of my Southern California Mysteries, Corrie Locke, isn’t the only one who has sidekicks (I can be a little slow to sit up and pay attention). I have sidekicks, too! And they’re every bit as talented as hers. I think neither she nor I regard these important players in our lives as sidekicks. We regard them as friends.
What traits do we need in sidekicks (real and fictional)?
1. Loyalty – This is why dogs make excellent sidekicks.
They don’t hesitate in giving unwavering support.
2. Being mostly Trustworthy – sometimes sidekicks get tired or hungry or irritable. That’s where the “mostly” comes in. Or sometimes, they act outside of their
skill set in the name of being helpful. When this happens, remember that it’s the thought and good intention that matters. Trust is an important sidekick asset.
3. Sweet talents or skills up their sleeves that are often helpful (and that you don’t have).
4. They’re good listeners. Just being able to talk through a situation with a rapt listener may help move life along in the right direction.
5. They show up when needed the most. This is most important because we don’t always reach out when we should or maybe we’re unable to. Here’s an example from Corrie’s fictional life (from MURDER GONE MISSING):
Corrie finds herself in a tight spot when a villain manages to weaken her resolve. She’s no damsel in distress, mind you,
but she could use a hand to move things along faster. A sidekick walks in at exactly the right time (he senses she may be stuck in a quicksandy situation) and provides enough of a distraction so that Corrie can get back on her feet and handle matters.
In my real life, I have a sidekick that manages to find me no matter how large a crowd I may be lost in. He has me on his radar, which I deeply appreciate.
As you may have noticed, sidekicks aren’t ordinary people/animals in our lives (or in our fictional stories). Their very presence kicks our lives to a whole other level; one that makes our experiences more palatable and exciting.
