Wednesday, December 16, 2009
WWW: Role Models
After yesterday's downer, I really need something a bit more fun today. And focusing on who my role models are or what kind of role models I see in my kids' lives... it's just too heavy for right now! My week is crazy busy, I'm still a bit weighed down on the inside by the tragedies around me but not directly touching me.
So the order of the day is fun and then some help from YOU. Since I'm not in a place to really dig deep into my own psyche to talk about role models, why don't you leave some lengthy comments and share stories of people who have been a positive influence in your life?
And if you've seen Role Models and Lord of the Rings and are at all aware of LARPers (Live Action Role Play- gamers)...
Who have your role models been and who are they now?
Have you been a role model to someone else?
Any opinions on famous people- athletes, entertainment stars, successful entrepreneurs- being role models?
Is it even important to have role models or should our attention be focused elsewhere?
2 comments:
Really great topic!
I think the Tiger Woods saga is proof positive that our role models should probably be more than just athletes and entertainers. I don't think there's anything wrong with admiring their abilities, but we shouldn't put too much stock in them as people because they have a whole host of problems we can't even begin to fathom.
In fact, I don't even know if I have a role model these days. There are plenty of people I admire with talents and skills and ways of doing things that I would like to emulate. But I'm trying so hard to be my own person these days and figure out who that is. I don't want to pattern myself after any one person.
I've been reading through David's year 6 Yearbook in which they've given each kid a page to write about themselves. One of the prompts was "People I most admire" and nearly every child has listed their parents first, teachers, friends and other family also feature strongly and there's only a tiny smattering of celebrity or historical people. In fact, of the 47 kids in year 6 there are only 3 who don't list at least one family member.
I find this both hugely encouraging and rather sobering. (And I can't help but wonder about those 3 kids and hope that everything's ok for them.)
Encouraging because for all the "hero" worshiping that's promoted by the media and all the focus on sporting celebrities as being role models for young kids it would seem that it's the people who really matter in their lives that these kids are looking to for guidance.
Sobering because it's a reminder, not that we really need one, of how much we as parents do matter to our kids.
If I had to point to a role model in my life even now it would be my mum and I certainly hope that I'm a good role model to my kids...I was left out of David's list, only Dad got a mention there! Apparently the whole historical re-enactment thing is pretty cool after all and Dad gets all the credit for it :-)
I have huge issues with the elevation of sports people who are making lot of money doing something they love to the status of heroes or role models. The whole sporting heroes thing is very big in Australia and it gets right up my nose. I'm not saying it's impossible for sporting celebrities to be good people and worthy of role model status, though the culture of many Australian sports makes it pretty bloody difficult for the players to retain their integrity. But hero? I'm sorry, there's nothing heroic about sport.
Placing any human being up on a pedestal and expecting them to be perfect paragons of virtue is doomed to failure, far better that we learn to see people clearly and be able to admire their good traits and understand their flaws.
I seem to have slipped into ramble/rant mode! Better stop there :-)
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