The Day I Got Saved — and Secretly Loved It

This is a personal story about the subconscious mask of the Superhero.

Alongside the People-Pleaser—probably the most common subconscious mask people wear—Superhero is another popular one, especially among those involved in the personal development world.
It’s usually formed in childhood, in environments that are chaotic, competitive, or simply not ideal.

To find our role—and our sense of belonging—we become the go-to person: highly dependable, responsible, capable.
The adult for our parents. The kid who’s already mature.
The one who always steps in, holds it all together, solves problems, and supports others.

We find our inherent value in being the one who can handle everything.
That’s the essence of the Superhero mask.

Energetically, it leans masculine—though of course, women wear it too. And when we do, we often take on more “masculine” traits than we might if we were free from this persona.

I say we because Superhero was one of my masks.
And while the story I’m about to tell is only partly about that, it connects in a way that surprised me— but mostly made me laugh.

So here it goes.

Rescued by a Man

While traveling with my van in Sardinia, I was rescued by a man.
As in—a man literally came to my rescue.

There I was, in full panic mode, stuck off-road with Bruno (my beloved 1985 van), scared and unsure what to do.

I’d ended up on a steep-ish incline, trying to reverse, but the van couldn’t get traction. It kept stalling.
Slowly, inch by inch, I began sliding down the slope until I hit a tree.

And luckily, I hit that tree—because without it, I might’ve gone all the way down the hill.
(To be fair, there were plenty of trees—it was a pine forest—but still… you get the picture.)

At first, I told myself, You’ve got this.
Like I had in so many tricky parking situations lately. But this time?
I couldn’t handle it.

Every attempt made it worse. The more I tried, the more stuck Bruno became, and the more I bumped into the tree.

I couldn’t believe it.

I started looking around for help, but strangely, all the people I’d seen earlier had vanished.
I stopped a car, but they were rushing to catch a ferry.
I asked a man walking to the beach, but he couldn’t help either.

Eventually, I gathered a group of 4–5 tourists to push, but even with all their help—Bruno wouldn’t budge.

That’s when I got seriously worried. Just when I’d finally started to feel confident behind the wheel—when I thought, I know how to drive this —it all unraveled.

To make it worse, I was in an area where campervans weren’t allowed—so calling roadside assistance or the authorities wasn’t really an option.
I genuinely thought: I’ve screwed up. How am I going to get out of here?

The first man I’d stopped earlier suggested I try the nearby beach—he’d seen some 4x4s parked there, so I went.

I asked around, but the guy with the jeep was busy fixing the engine on his gommone—a tourist boat. That was his main business, and he had to prioritize it.

Now I was properly stressed, and I didn’t care to hide it.
I was damaging Bruno. Damaging the tree. Stuck in a pine grove where I wasn’t supposed to be.
I had an important work call in a few hours. I was close to tears. Should I cancel?

A Real-Life Superhero

And then—out of nowhere—a red 4x4 from the Protezione Civile rolled in, with a squad of men inside.
What a vision!

I explained the situation, visibly panicked. The driver, calm and kind, reassured me:
“Don’t worry. It happens all the time. I’ve done this before.
I’ll help you—just give me 10 minutes.”

He dropped off construction materials at the beach site first, then came back and drove me to my van.

Matteo was calm, clear, experienced. He told me what to do.
He hooked a cable to Bruno’s towing hook and pulled me out.

No fuss. No drama.

He said he owns a chiringuito (beach bar) on another part of the coast, and also works as a lifeguard—which is why he’d shown up with the official red car.
A real-life superhero!

He literally saved me—and was a complete gentleman about it.
He refused money, then escorted me back to the paved road.
And when I realized I had an issue with the gas pedal, he waited while I fixed it—just to make sure I was okay.

Letting Go of the Mask

So, why am I telling this story?

Because honestly—I found it so refreshing to be saved.
To let someone step in. Let a man do his thing.
To, for once, just be the girl.
And it made me laugh so hard my belly hurt.

Since I’ve been on the road with Bruno, I’ve never felt so far removed from traditional gender roles.
I’ve become a do-it-all—in the most practical way.
Driving a vintage van. Navigating wild roads. Managing logistics. Sleeping in remote places by myself.
Loving it. Owning it.

Other women in vans treat me like one of the guys sometimes—opening gates, offering help.
They look at me with admiration.

And then—suddenly—I “fail” and I need help. I become just a girl.

And you know what?
I loved it!

So yes, it was a misadventure—but with a funny twist.

And if you, too, wear the Superhero mask—whether you're a woman or a man—remember this:

The world doesn’t hang from your shoulders.
You don’t have to carry it all alone.
Help is out there.
And sometimes, the bravest thing you can do…
is let yourself be rescued.