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illustration by Shelley Bartosh
Which is admirable?
By Brittn Grey
Staff Writer
Who do you admire? As you walk
down the hall, passing hundreds of your fellow classmates, while you're at your lunch
table, in fourth period - anywhere - who are you modeling yourself after?
Is it someone pretty enough to be
the next Miss America (or handsome enough to be Mr. America, if there was such a thing)
or someone decked in Abercrombie and Fitch or sporting Tommy Hilfiger? If so, is it
for the clothes they're wearing and their outward image or their personality and
character that you like them? Hopefully, it is for
the latter two things mentioned. How would you feel if someone only liked you because
you were good looking or wore brand names? I'm sure you would rather have people
like you for who you are than your outward appearance.
Does the person you look up to get
high or drunk every weekend? If so, why would you want to be like them? Personally I'd
like to keep my brain cells as long as possible
and I don't want to see my life and money go down the drain because I can't stop
drinking. Is it time to find a new role model?
Are you looking up to someone who
has a reputation for stealing, cheating, doing drugs, or sleeping around? Do you
really want to be like that person? I don't think
I know anyone who wants to be known as a druggie or a slut.
"Values we can all live
by...Integrity. Perseverance. Respect. Responsibility.
Self- control," reads the bold yellow writing on
a sign located on the wall next to one of the entrances to the library. These are the
things we should be looking for in our role
models. I believe that people who demonstrate
these qualities are the ones who will make something of themselves and truly deserve
our admiration and respect.
I challenge you, and I challenge
myself, to admire, look up to, and respect people
not for superficial reasons such as what they look like or what they wear. Instead,
admire people for their personality and character, the things that really count.
Know yourself before you love others
Ayn Rand, author of The
Fountainhead, wrote, "To
say 'I love you,' one must know first how to say the
'I.'"
If you're single this Valentine's Day, buy yourself a
box of chocolates and be your own significant other. From
the time you took your first breath of air, you have been
with yourself. There is no reprieve, and you can not escape
from who you are. When you become comfortable with
yourself, it is easier for other people to love you.
Determining who you are goes beyond stereotypes
or classifications. Who you are is not the grade you're in, your hair color, your name, or your appearance. Who you are
is not a sport, an academic subject, or an
extra-curricular activity. Who you are is not necessarily what other
people perceive you to be. Who are you?
To know and appreciate yourself is important.
Discover what makes you the singular, unique person that you
are. Become aware of what you think and believe. By
defining who you are, you will gain knowledge of what is
important to you. When you can love yourself, you are better
prepared to love another person, and your future Valentine's Days
will be even more meaningful.
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