Role Models

A few years ago there was a commercial featuring a prominent basketball star named Charles Barkley. To provide a little context, all you need to know is Barkley was renowned for his tough, physical play. He often would be assessed flagrant fouls for his hard-nosed antics, and he inspired countless other basketball players to emulate his actions. The commercial was centered around a controversial phrase in which Barkley reiterated, "I am not a role model." He was paid to be an athlete and presenting an acceptable code of behavior or ethics for kids to watch was not his responsibility.

Maybe he's right.

A few years ago I would have argued it was his responsibility and athletes should be mandated to behave in a manner worthy of copying. Perhaps its because I'm older (and more cynical) but my views are changing. Are there athletes (and musicians, actors, authors, etc) out there who are bastions of decency and morality? Sure. But it's not their job to raise my kids. That task falls to me and I must become the one they look to for guidance and inspiration.

Over the years I've met many incredible people who spent time residing at Samaritan House. Countless families have moved in and out of our family housing units and those parents and guardians do their best to raise their kids with ethics, empathy, and a moral compass designed to inspire positive behavior. One of the most important things we can do is not let our socioeconomic station in life become an excuse for poor parenting. Teaching right from wrong is not dependent upon our tax bracket.

Celebrities are easy scapegoats because their lives unfold in a world with virtually no privacy. When they succeed or fail, it is often in real time. But their job is to entertain and not to be the voice for decency and reason. Instead of pawning our responsibilities as parents and caregivers to sports stars, we need to be accountable for what we are teaching those who look up to us.

The importance of our family housing quarters cannot be underestimated. While they are not luxurious, they do provide a stable place for families to get back on their feet. Families have a place they can stay, rent-free, so they can save money to elevate themselves out of the depths of homelessness. Parents and children are given an opportunity to spend time together so that positive values can be taught and enforced.

We can argue the validity of celebrities as role models all day. But I prefer a world in which families take ownership of creating the strong bonds that will contribute to society.