What kind of short-cuts do you make
each day? Little things that don't matter, but they get you someplace
a little faster; makes a job seem a little easier. How do you treat
the people around you? Do you show patience? Impatience? Respect?
Disdain? Now, ask yourself... who watches you? What kind of example
do you set for the people that look up to you, or look to you for
direction? What are you saying with your actions that reenforce (or
negate) what you say in words? I posted a 'snippet' on my facebook page
(http://www.facebook.com/tina.hammond.5661)
that got me thinking about how kids grow up these days and why they
don't seem to have 'the values' that I was taught when I was young.
It got me thinking about two things I remember happening in my life
that reminded me that we (as the older generation as well as adults,
in general) are often looked up to as examples to the people around
us.
I lived in Germany between 1988-1992. I
was walking with a friend and we came to an intersection with a light
signal. I stood for a moment and gauged traffic before stepping off
the curb to cross the street even though there was a “Do Not Walk”
signal... I mean, come on, I'm an adult, I can see there are no cars
coming. I was a couple of steps into the crosswalk when I realized my
friend was still at the corner. I asked him why he was waiting.
Profoundly he replied (and I paraphrase), “I know there are no cars
coming, by if I cross against the light, what example am I giving to
the kinder (children)? If I cross the street, they will feel the
light has no meaning, and that is not the example I wish to set for
them.” I have never crossed against the lights since then.
When I was at a class reunion (my 25th,
I think), I was sitting by a classmate that I remembered from school,
but never really thought about them as a close friend or someone I
hung out with; she made a remark to me that when we had been in
school, I was someone she had looked up to. I don't remember her
exact words, but I was surprised and a little startled that there was
a person as far back as high school, that had looked to me as an
example. I had no idea. I was a jock, not someone who ran around with
a popular crowd. I kept to myself or with a VERY tight circle of a
couple of people I had grown up with since I was in elementary
school. This got me thinking about how we unknowingly could be an
example to anyone that feels we strike a chord in them, maybe we
remind them of someone, we do an act or action that inspires them to
'be like' us. And I was sad that I had to little awareness of this,
or any other person, who looked to me as an example.
We never know who is watching our
actions, good or bad. We don't always realize that by being rude,
ignoring laws (even simple ones), or by standing back and not taking
action when action is called for, can be observed by the very child
that talks back at you, comes home with a speeding ticket, or gets
hit by a car for running out onto the street. But if we try to keep
ourselves aware that we may be watched by people that are looking at
us to show them the right way to do things, maybe we will make
different choices. So ask yourself... who is looking up to me? If a
child was walking beside you everyday, what changes would you make to
be a better example to them?
So, how many of you are
going to start waiting for the “Walk” sign to flash?
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