“Friendship is the only cement that will hold the world together.”
I wonder how many people admire rule breakers, or are inspired by them. At times we perceive them as courageous. The truth is they are seekers of a moment of fame. Recognizing what fame is helps us to understand who deserves it. There will never be any mention of those people who deserve a bit of fame for taking care of their neighbors. Such people watch out for others when the need arises. A wife is left alone when her husband is on a business trip. Neighbors keep a watch. Kindness is when an older woman is left widowed and has a house to shovel out or a yard to clean. Honor is when a neighbor gets a prescription for a sick neighbor. These people are not all friends; they just care about a fellow human being. That is altruistic. They are not looking for anything in return nor do they expect anything in return.
These people who get up every day and go to work for the sake of the family are the famous people. These are the ones media should be focusing on. They make the difference in the lives of others. How many people volunteer time and commitment to others? This goes unnoticed. What we read about,in newspapers and on radios is what is sensationalized. what make headlines and what gets a person on television is being a rule breaker. The person who allows their child to talk back to a teacher because they got their feelings hurt will be all over the news. The person who allowed their child to hold onto the wheel of the car even though the child was underage will be front headlines. everyone laughs and applauds the broken law. The people who kill others because of a job loss or broken heart will have their story printed across the country. What happened to doing the right thing just because it is the decent thing to do? Why do we not give thoughtful hard working people the same acknowledgement and moment of fame? Teachers lawyers doctors store keepers and any other workers who commit a crime are flash focus on TV and radio. Let’s forget abot the others in the same field who honor it daily with acts of charity. Why do we like the negative rather than the positive. The altruistic people will be gone because we are valuing something far different.
We must encourage our children to help for the sake of helping. Many times there is a price tag attached to a kindness. We are not teaching our children to take responsibility of a duty and complete it without a lot of praise, money or both. Some kids and adults take no accountability for their destructive attitudes and actions. Most of us live by the directives, pay me and I’ll do it. Yet there are real heroes all around us. How we began honoring sports heroes and television celebrities while disregarding the men and women who give of themselves continually is ludicrous. Although there are many in sports that live good lives there are just as many who seek the limelight and without scrutiny, are offered up as a role model. The problem is at times they have little to offer regarding ethics.
If media continues to give these people even a moment of fame, we will continue to witness the eye catching exploits of those with less than desirable morals. Maybe it is time to reflect on our own and our societies values. Time to give praise where it is deserved. I know when we die we will all reap what we have sown. If we chase after elusive people and tenuous items we may find ourselves in a place that is not so beautiful. It may be time to teach our children the power of just being an honorable person. Teach our children the importance of doing something for no repay. The person who will let you pick the first donut, share the last cup of coffee in the pot, help you finish shoveling, and drive you to work when your car broke down, volunteer at soup kitchens, collect money for a charity, volunteer on a fire department and numerous other volunteers are the real heroes. They don’t know it because we don’t value that behavior. We should stop idolizing or giving attention to the rule breakers. Look for the positive proactive people who add empathy and love to the world every day. Let’s shed some light on those people who really do show us how to live.
“Not in the clamor of the crowded street, nor in the shouts and plaudits of the throng, bit in ourselves are triumph and defeat.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
