Just Like you

Have you ever noticed how a little boy will stand and act and talk just like his dad? Ever noticed how people talk like and dress like the people they admire? Having younger siblings taught me to realize the influence we have over others. This last year of competing in speech and debate I have thought constantly about what kind of precedent I am setting... Realizing that there is always someone watching and always someone listening. We are always told growing up that we can change our world, but I realize now how wrong that statement is. The fact is, we are changing our world, the question is not will we change it, the question is how are we changing it?

Something we don’t think much about is how we are talking. Now I am not saying y’all go around talking trash and cussing people out in front of young and impressionable people. But when was the last time you looked around and took note of the ages of the people around you while you were talking about things like death, or depression, or just about anything in the news. I am not saying we should hide the truth from others, I am saying there is a time and a place and an age that someone should have to be exposed to evil. The older I get the more and more I realize just how many horrid events happen on almost a daily basis in the world, the challenge is to be aware that not everyone shares the same knowledge that you do. I can tell you this, my five year old brother doesn’t understand the need for a military because “why would someone else not like us?”… That is not something I want to take from him anytime soon.

I always hated how strict my parents were when I was younger about what words were okay for us to use and was not. I can guarantee you they were stricter than anyone else I have ever met, but now that I am older I understand why. Not only the whole being careful about unwholesome talk coming out of your mouth, but also because I see now how sad it is to me when I go to the store and there is a five year old saying things like “stupid” or “idiot” the list goes on. My parents taught me, or attempted to teach me XP, self control from a young age. It’s not that those words were like socially unacceptable. But rather that those were the words I used when I got mad and so they taught me to control my mouth and not say hurtful things when I was mad or hurt from a young age. Also because even when you’re say 7 or 8 or even 9 there are still people who look up to you. When you are that age you don’t realize it, but a five year old thinks you’re the coolest thing that has ever happened.

It goes beyond words though… How are you treating the people around you? Are you respecting them? Or are you giving yourself priority? How are you acting when no ones around? How are you acting when everyone’s around? From the way you act, to the way you talk, you are always setting precedent. Someone else is always watching and you are telling them what is ok and what’s not ok... My prayer for all of you is to twofold. First that you would realize who you are allowing to influence you and who you are. Influence goes both ways. Secondly, that you realize who you are influencing and who you are shaping them to be. By many different people in many different ways it has been said that with great power comes great responsibility. All of you, no matter how young or old, have an enormous amount of power. How are you changing the people around you?