How do we choose our heroes? Or how do we select our role models and how do we direct the attention of our children, if we are a parent, to the person whom they can emulate? These are serious questions in our society today, whether we recognize it or not. Selecting a figure to set on a personal pedestal is not new, but doing it today may be one of the most difficult choices a person can make.
Growing up 70 years ago was much different than it is today, particularly if you were living in northwest Arkansas. Television didn't exist, the local daily newspaper had very little information about celebrities, sports and news outside the area. Even radios were limited by the power of their equipment and my grandfather's radio was battery powered, because he didn't have electricity. National news was scarce and "news reels" at the local motion picture theaters were not exactly "current." The term "hero" probably wasn't in my vocabulary until I reached the age of 12 or 13 and spent my allowance on magazines that covered all areas of professional sports or college football.
Some of the colleges that were famous for their football teams in those years are hardly recognized for the sport today. Have you even heard of Fordham University's Seven Blocks of Granite? One of their members went on to become one of professional football's most famous coaches -- Vince Lombardi. Other schools had similar fates as academics (the real purpose of the school) overshadowed athletics. The magazines could be purchased for 25 cents, the amount of my allowance, and became the source of life-changing decisions on the part of many a young male person. The Boston Red Sox and their famous star, Ted Williams, established in me a great burning desire to aspire to a major league baseball career as I'm sure a million other kids foolishly dreamed. Ironically, Boston was about as far away as a baseball team could be from Rogers, Ark., in those days, but dream I did. And, many years later I lived about four blocks away from Fenway Park and could walk to the stadium in the Boston area.
But role models, sports heroes, movie stars, musicians or whatever the sources, are what provide an example to look up to. Whether we make good choices or not, depends on other influences in our lives as well as the person we see in the news media or listen to in any form of entertainment.
The reality of the process today takes on a much more serious dimension than in my youth. Today the influence of money drives exposure, both good and bad, starting at the earliest possible age with television commercials, background music and the contest of television to gain attention of viewers for sales purposes. Television markets are divided up by athletic teams, college football conferences, bidding wars over programming rights and every conceivable viewer attraction. Talk shows, national news programs etc., routinely host celebrities, some to sell books, some to promote dying careers, some to give impetus to starting careers.
The choices today are frightening for one growing old as I am, and wondering how my grandchildren are to separate the model that can be true to their expectations from the scruffily dressed, fully tattooed rock singer who will appear as a role model today and a disappointing, falling from grace, drug addict later in life.
Ours news media, driven by the need to be first to interview the next "super star," can't separate the good model from the bad model, because their business is "ratings." My interest is the welfare of my grandchildren and all the other young people constantly being bombarded by choices, both good and bad, and being concerned about how my sons can guide their children down the road to the best, meaningful, choices.
We recently went to a church conference and were fortunate to hear a very positive man, a United Methodist minister, speak about leadership and other church-related topics. This is a man becoming well-known within the United Methodist Church, but I have never seen him on television on a book tour although he is a very prolific author. He shared what he feels GOD has called him to provide to the world -- a message of hope. There was no sign of a tattoo, no torn T-shirt, he didn't wear a sports jersey (he is from the Kansas City area) and never advertised any commodity. He was an outstanding speaker, a transformed person through the power of his beliefs, and one who shared openly his background from a dysfunctional family and broken home-- a story that many know first hand, but try to run away from by resorting to the influence of drugs.
As I listened to him, I thought about a discussion with my youngest son concerning his middle son (he has three boys and one girl) and the disappointment he and the son have had in finding a role-model for that very talented, large for his age, high school student-athlete. Finding a person who stays true to his principles is important as a young person and this young man has been very disappointed in, or by, some of his choices. Currently we are introducing him to Arkansas's All-American football star, Brandon Burlsworth, now deceased, non the less a fitting role model for a youth, but with so many of this young man's attributes. Brandon was both a scholar and talented athlete.
My grandson, like many other young people is a very talented person, but his previous choices have been a result of influences from sources which had something to gain by his decision. The number on a football jersey, or which team's baseball cap to buy, etc., being their purpose.
The speaker this past weekend was not selling anything except a way to change your life -- and you have to make that choice first. No doubt he got paid for his appearance, but it was a free event if you had the time. I came away wishing there were more examples of people who come from distressed circumstances and were successful instead of the ones who came from privileged backgrounds and failed to be a meaningful role-model for the world.
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Editor's note: Leo Lynch is an award-winning columnist. He is a native of Benton County has deep roots in northwest Arkansas. He is a retired industrial engineer and former Justice of the Peace. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Editorial on 06/25/2014