It's Growing Good Character Against Bad Characters Kind of Thing

Dear America,





enough said.
but no -- not really...
aw shucks, you know me too well...

none of us are born heroes or Olympic champions -- we grow into it; from nothing we grow into something.

Our parents take the lead role in establishing the kind of character building qualities within us from the moment we are welcomed into the world. While over the years, it could be a teacher, a coach, a mentor, a friend -- who makes the assist, accentuating the strengths and eliminating the weaknesses, influencing our growth to the next level.  But all the while, ordinary people create the very opportunity to make a hero, to manifest an Olympiad, to be the change.

so today is a refresher course -- reminding you to go to www.realamericanstories.com

But what started me in this direction this morning?
Hearing an interview on my favorite local talk radio guy, Mike Slater, with Brad Meltzer -- author of Heroes for My Son, and newly released, Heroes for My Daughter.   He's the one who said it -- "none of us are born heroes."   He also orchestrates the website at www.ordinarypeoplechangetheworld.com if you want to see more.


And another timely read comes from the Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan's column "Crisis of Character."

she begins going something like this:

"I've long thought that public dissatisfaction is about more than the economy, that it's also about our culture, or rather the flat, brute, highly sexualized thing we call our culture.

Now I'd go a step beyond that. I think more and more people are worried about the American character—who we are and what kind of adults we are raising.

Every story that has broken through the past few weeks has been about who we are as a people. And they are all disturbing."

She quickly moves through current back up -- flash mobs with juvenile delinquents destroying 'five and dimes', General Services Administration blowing through the people's money, and the latest Secret Service scandal down in Cartagena, Columbia --  and ends going something like this:

"Special thanks to the person who invented casual Friday. Now it's casual everyday in America. But when you lower standards people don't decide to give you more, they give you less...

In isolation, these stories may sound like the usual sins and scandals, but in the aggregate they seem like something more disturbing, more laden with implication, don't they? And again, these are only from the past week.

The leveling or deterioration of public behavior has got to be worrying people who have enough years on them to judge with some perspective.

Something seems to be going terribly wrong.

Maybe we have to stop and think about this."

you know, when I see something going seriously wrong in public -- usually by the 'kids today' but not always -- I think to myself, and sometimes aloud, 'just where is your mother..'

and now, thinking of the contrast in-between -- how we began on the day and how we have deteriorated...I just realized it can all happen so terribly fast.  Things just get out of hand; someone makes the wrong move; we do something stupid and behave badly.

Like Peggy said, "maybe we have to stop and think about this."

But I also think, we may be onto something -- in returning to the role, and duty, of both mom and dad.

I believe it doesn't get anymore uncomplicated than that.

Make it a Good Day, G

I guess Peggy's column was already in print before the crazy behavior of a B-ball player -- Metta World Peace.  yeah, funny, isn't it?  The Lakers player formerly known as Ron Artest changed his name to "Metta World Peace" on purpose and then does something like this...go figure.

just another sign of the times...just another sign of the times...little boys everywhere probably thought he was being cool like that...I wonder if any of their mamas or papas told them it was stupid and not to do something like that EVER...and if they did, that they would (fill in the blank)......hmmmm