"Then give to the world the best you have, and the best will come back to you."
Madeline Bridges
I realize that I come from a different generation than the one that controls the social narrative these days.I grew up on a quiet little street in the heart of the suburbs,which at the time was the American dream for the generation that preceded mine.A home, in a good neighborhood was the standard that my parents and their friends who had grown up in apartment buildings in cities like NYC, Paterson,Philadelphia or Newark aimed for.
In our neighborhood, we had an electrician,a steel worker, a dock worker,a graphic artist, a mechanic, a gas station manager, some factory workers and a salesman (my dad). More than half of the dads in the neighborhood worked part time jobs as well.
It's just what people did in those days to afford the life style they wanted for their families.
A few of the moms worked,mostly part time jobs, just to help out.
Yes, it was a different time and a different world.
One other thing that the parents in our neighborhood had in common was that most of them had come to this place after experiencing life during WW11.
Just about every branch of the armed services was represented in our little corner of the world.
Here's the thing.None of them called them selves heroes.As a matter of fact,rarely was their service a subject that came up.It was their job,their duty, in response to a global experience that threatened the dreams they had for their future.
And none of us called them heroes. We called them,Mr. and Mrs.
Mr. Mac, Mr. O'keefe, Mr. Deluca,Mr. Lembo, Mr. Bascelice,Mr. Hambel.
If we had called them heroe, we probably would have been shut down pretty darn quickly.
They had a humility about them. Their pride was not in the selfie they took holding up a sign saying "I'm a hero".
They cut their grass,and raked their lawns. That well manicured yard was as close to a selfie as they ever had.
No one gave them anything and they were just fine with that.No selfies.
No signs with hearts on them.
They didn't pat themselves on the back for doing what they believed they were supposed to do and quite frankly signed up to do,their jobs!
Nowadays, everyone is a hero. Not just in the eyes of the community at large, but in their own eyes. Selfies of healthcare workers holding up signs saying "I'm a hero" abound.
The clerk at the grocery store believes I owe him or her a debt of gratitude for doing their job.
Moms sitting around a kitchen table helping their kids with homework feel the need to give each other and themselves a shout out for being moms.
Everyone gets a trophy.
Everyone gets a prize.
Everyone gets recognition and an award.
It's awful!
Personally, I find it humiliating.
When we were kids and you bragged about something you did you were met with "what do you want,a medal or a chest to pin it on".
That's the world I grew up in. A world where humility was more important than collecting a phone full of selfies or a shelf full of awards.
I kind of liked that world a lot better.
But that's just me and what do I know.
Here's today's Song of the Day:
No comments:
Post a Comment