I Am Not a Role Model?

Note: I wrote this before the large wave of NFL scandals made this subject topical. Regardless, I want to share.

For some, being called a role model is flattering. To be seen in such a light is to be held in higher regard and be universally respected. People revel in the appreciation - when it's all good, that is.

Now any increasing number of athletes, musicians, actors and others in the public eye try to avoid the role model label. Thanks to an unquenchable thirst for failure and misery from the unwashed TMZ masses, role models can't be human or let their guard down for one second to unveil weakness. Even the smallest stumble opens them up to immense scrutiny. It's much easier to be a follower than a leader: few care if a follower trips and falls, but leaders can draw huge unwanted attention with the slightest misstep.

The magnifying glass has only enlarged since Charles Barkley first claimed in a 1993 Nike ad that he was no role model. And rightfully so, he is a human with his own faults and no time to care about what the kids who look up to him think about his shortcomings.

But why shed the role of a role model all together? Well, that would involve a global sweep of re-educating people that no one can be perfect and such an unreal expectation is downright unreasonable and could lead would-be role models to crack even faster. Successful people with great morals, ethics and habits can still be role models, but their followers need only look in the mirror before dismissing their heroes for a minor infraction.

Perceived "role models" live by the same standards everyone else does - treat them as such.