When I was growing up, I watched my sister and her friends to know how to act. I watched my parents to know how to talk. I watched people to understand how I was supposed to treat others. Growing up, I had a ton of role models. Some of them were in the family, others were close friends of mine or my parents, and some were people I only met once. You never know when a role model for you is going to show up. You also never know when you’ll have the opportunity to be a role model for someone else.
When I attend Tae Kwon Do, I find plenty of role models there. One such role model is named Mr. Shemkus. He is a 4th degree black belt that has been taking Tae Kwon Do lessons since way before I started. He works extremely hard while he’s in the class, no matter how simple the exercise, and he never gives up. He’s a great teacher, and a remarkable leader. I have learned from him how to never give up, and strive to be great at whatever I’m attempting, be it an important school paper or average chore.
Another group of role models I find are the younger kids at Tae Kwon Do. When younger kids first start as white belts, they are usually nervous, but giving it their all. They don’t really worry about looking silly, or not doing well, they just go for it. If I’m having an off day, and I feel like taking it easy, they help me remember that you don’t have to be super good at whatever you’re doing. You just have to work hard while you’re doing it.
When I go to church on Sunday’s, Tyler plays the piano as we’re all filing into the Worship Center. The music he plays is energetic and fun, and always puts a smile on my face. While he’s playing his songs, Tyler has a smile on his own face, and he always has fun with it. It’s hard to not find yourself swaying to the music, or tapping your foot to the beat when he plays. Tyler reminds me to have fun with the things that I do, and he reminds me the reason I started most of my extra curricular activities; not so that I could get frustrated and belittle myself, so that I could enjoy doing the things that I love.
One of my favorite activities is Youth Group. I love the companionship and camaraderie it provides. However, it is made all the better by our youth leaders. Our two leaders, Mike and Mary, toil over games and lessons that we can do during our time together. They are patient and have a great sense of humor (something that’s necessary when you’re spending an hour and 45 minutes in a room full of teenagers). They allow us to have fun, and they’ve created a sense of trust between all of us, allowing us to speak freely in Youth Group. I hope to be as patient and caring as them when I grow up.
Role models are an enormously important part of life. They teach us how to act and talk, and the things that you might learn from that role model are often unique from what another person might learn. We learn different things from different people, and somehow, it shapes into the person we’re meant to be. I hope that to someone, somewhere, I can be considered a role model. Because, if I can teach someone like any of my role models have taught me, then I have done a very good thing. See you next week!
“Reprinted from Hagel Publications, Inc. dba as Courier Newspapers”