The heroes my generation grew up with are still there showcasing positivism, except they are now overshadowed by heroes who did not get to watch good folks do right in the community. The heroes my generation grew up with are now booted off by heroes who become heroes to promote selective outrage, not to impact lives and behaviors positively.
In this series, I talked about an era that if you are under 30, you did not know. Without further ado, let me show you how my upbringing was much more meaningful than the ones we have today.
The people who influenced my life to make me the excellent element of society that I am today had no platform to share their opinion; they only had their lifestyles, their behaviors, and a whole lot of authority to school me and steer me into the right direction any way they chose. I am sorry I failed to pass the lessons I learned from my hometown heroes to the younger generations.
When we were at the same age you are right now, our communities, not strangers, raised us. I remember when our mentors were real people who lived next door. I remember when our models were anyone older than we were. As we were growing up, our parents did not tell us how to behave, treat others, and be; we knew who we wanted to become from the start. Most importantly, we respected the unsaid rules and the unwritten values to be pleasant and approachable; we were always trained to be what was right.
I remember when our parents were not scared to let us watch television at the neighbor’s house. They were not afraid because our community shared the same values, and whatever good they wanted for their children; they wanted that same good for all the other children in the community. Our neighbors were our uncles, our aunts, our papis and our mommies. I missed when the community, a community of heroes, raised us.
When my friends and I were growing up, we did not have to look elsewhere for our models; they were right there at every corner, and we had no choice but to succeed. Although we may not have been authorized to talk to them because of their social status or their ranking in the community, we saw them everyday and we knew the respect that came with their name. When we did not, or if we behaved unbecomingly, the community punished us. One of the good things our models did for us was they empowered us to become examples for our community and future generations. They taught us how to take control of our lives and be responsible for our actions.
Nowadays, our heroes are people we will never meet in person. We don’t know their past nor did we know their family. They pop up on our screen faster than dandelions grow in yards. Unlike our old heroes who led us by example, these new heroes provide us with unrealistic expectations and ideals, promote unhealthy behavior, and reduce social interactions. In a world where everyone is seeking instant gratification, we are becoming more focused on what we wear or places we have been than on what is important.
The heroes my generation grew up with are still there showcasing positivism, except they are now overshadowed by heroes who did not get to watch good folks do right in the community. The heroes my generation grew up with are now booted off by heroes who become heroes to promote selective outrage, not to impact lives and behaviors positively.
Granted, various good heroes talk to us on our screen, but we neglect them because they are not polarized, but they instead aim to unite the political and social divide.
In summary, my conversation reflects on how, when growing up, we were surrounded by hometown heroes who provided good examples and taught us values and respect. That enabled us to become better individuals and strive for success. However, these heroes have become extinct, and the visible ones tend to be focused on promoting unhealthy behavior and creating social divides. There are still some good role models out there, but they are overshadowed by those who promote selective outrage.
The people who influenced my life to make me the excellent element of society that I am today had no platform to share their opinion; they only had their lifestyles, their behaviors, and a whole lot of authority to school me and steer me into the right direction any way they chose. I am sorry I failed to pass the lessons I learned from my hometown heroes to the younger generations.
When we were at the same age you are right now, our communities, not strangers, raised us. I remember when our mentors were real people who lived next door. I remember when our models were anyone older than we were. As we were growing up, our parents did not tell us how to behave, treat others, and be; we knew who we wanted to become from the start. Most importantly, we respected the unsaid rules and the unwritten values to be pleasant and approachable; we were always trained to be what was right.
I remember when our parents were not scared to let us watch television at the neighbor’s house. They were not afraid because our community shared the same values, and whatever good they wanted for their children; they wanted that same good for all the other children in the community. Our neighbors were our uncles, our aunts, our papis and our mommies. I missed when the community, a community of heroes, raised us.
When my friends and I were growing up, we did not have to look elsewhere for our models; they were right there at every corner, and we had no choice but to succeed. Although we may not have been authorized to talk to them because of their social status or their ranking in the community, we saw them everyday and we knew the respect that came with their name. When we did not, or if we behaved unbecomingly, the community punished us. One of the good things our models did for us was they empowered us to become examples for our community and future generations. They taught us how to take control of our lives and be responsible for our actions.
Nowadays, our heroes are people we will never meet in person. We don’t know their past nor did we know their family. They pop up on our screen faster than dandelions grow in yards. Unlike our old heroes who led us by example, these new heroes provide us with unrealistic expectations and ideals, promote unhealthy behavior, and reduce social interactions. In a world where everyone is seeking instant gratification, we are becoming more focused on what we wear or places we have been than on what is important.
The heroes my generation grew up with are still there showcasing positivism, except they are now overshadowed by heroes who did not get to watch good folks do right in the community. The heroes my generation grew up with are now booted off by heroes who become heroes to promote selective outrage, not to impact lives and behaviors positively.
Granted, various good heroes talk to us on our screen, but we neglect them because they are not polarized, but they instead aim to unite the political and social divide.
In summary, my conversation reflects on how, when growing up, we were surrounded by hometown heroes who provided good examples and taught us values and respect. That enabled us to become better individuals and strive for success. However, these heroes have become extinct, and the visible ones tend to be focused on promoting unhealthy behavior and creating social divides. There are still some good role models out there, but they are overshadowed by those who promote selective outrage.