Twinkle twinkle little star...

Today I woke up thinking... It amazes me how much trust we put into people we don't really know. In this instance I am referring to our society's perception of stars and the power we give them to disappoint us and let us down. I too have fallen victim to this train of thought in past times myself but those days are long gone now. This is not to say that I myself don't have my own role models, people I admire or look up to for inspiration at times. I am merely expressing the importance of keeping the proper perception of these people and after doing so teaching our youth to do the same. Which leads me to the root of this post. A young man told me he was so disappointed by the actions of his role model who happen to be famous that he started acting out in school and his grades started slipping. He said that it was hard to look for positive role models in the urban environments he is living and has lived. So as a result he looked up to stars. I told this young man that stars are in the sky and people like me and you walk the earth. And, I told him it is perfectly okay if chosen properly to have role models and people you look to but remember that they themselves are not perfect but are mere humans. The fact they are human like you and I is what makes them great role models because it means that you have the same amount of ability to accomplish what they have and even more. I stressed that when these heros of ours make mistakes just use that information to be a flashlight in a dark path in your own life so that you don't make the same mistakes. See to me saying just because you are a star doesn't mean you have to be a positive role model is about as crazy as saying yeah I'm a truck driver but I can drink alcohol and drive without any sleep and this kind of behavior will never effect anyone other than me. This also raises a question of parenting or the lack there of... because for me my biggest heros have been my parents. Whether we are stars or not it is time all of us start understanding the responsibility and the power we have to influence those around us by setting a positive example to follow because you never know who's life you may be affecting in the process.