Growing up, I was a huge basketball fan and looked up to Michael Jordan. This was back in the late 80s and early 90s when Jordan was at the top of his game. He was considered by many at the time to be the best player in the league and many still feel that he is the greatest of all time (and certainly in that conversation even if you disagree). Michael had a charismatic presence that, when combined with his unbelievable talent on the court, made him an absolute superstar. I did not necessary know a lot about the man behind the scenes, but as a child, I was inspired by his consistent excellence and the image he presented to the public. This is more of a knock on my own reasoning than Michael as a person because I have only heard good things about him, but as a child, my main criteria for liking him was that he was a great player and he was accepted by others. He was the person that I wanted to be because those were the things I wanted for myself.
These days, I look more at the whole picture. Perhaps this is a result of the transparency created by the rise of the internet, but I try to support players that not only excel at their sport, but also whom I resonate with as individuals. As an adult, I try to carry myself ethically and with credibility and I believe this is something I would impart on younger children in seeking out role models. I still believe that Michael was a great childhood role model, but there are lessons to be learned in WHY we chose our role models, not just WHO we choose.
290 Words
These days, I look more at the whole picture. Perhaps this is a result of the transparency created by the rise of the internet, but I try to support players that not only excel at their sport, but also whom I resonate with as individuals. As an adult, I try to carry myself ethically and with credibility and I believe this is something I would impart on younger children in seeking out role models. I still believe that Michael was a great childhood role model, but there are lessons to be learned in WHY we chose our role models, not just WHO we choose.
290 Words
Thanks to Jangorhino for the sig.