heroes?

  Politics in sports. Well, it's nothing new really, whenever big money gets involved it will get political sooner or later. Makes little difference to me where the all star game is played, it's supposed to be a game for the fans. Well, MLB has figured out a way to ruin that. Whatever, they certainly haven't made any profit off of me. But I sure did like it better when the players just played ball. Now I'm not blaming this on the players I haven't heard any of them complaining. Fact is I really haven't paid attention to the whole thing all that closely. I'm just thinking how so many professional athletes these days are making political statements. What with all the kneeling, fist raising or whatever. I'm just sayin' when I was young I looked at sport figures as heroes and role models. They were larger than life people, but no more. Now a great number of them just remind me of those folks that are always complaining about everything. We all know folks like that, never happy or satisficed with anything. 

  The same thing has happened in music and the movies. Those folks are heavily involved in politics. They have begun using their platforms to push their political beliefs. It's my feeling a great number of them just push whatever political agenda is the most beneficial to their careers. It's the only way I can explain those surrounded by security, armed body guards, living in gated communities, advocating for open borders. The wealthy celebrities supporting a welfare state. Advocates for a socialist agenda. Perhaps those folks have always been that way, perhaps we just didn't know about it. Perhaps it was better when we didn't.

  I don't know I was just thinking how the whole mindset has changed over the years. When I was young those folks weren't as forthcoming about their personal lives and beliefs. I'm certain they held quite a number of controversial opinions back then. It's my experience those that acquire wealth, no matter how that happens, acquire some strange beliefs along with it. I think that is simply because they have less, real life problems, to deal with. You know the everyday stuff that interferes with our good times. Depending on your finances that could range from your next meal to the car broke down or the insurance bill is due. When your finances become "no issue" other than making more of what you already have I think you do tend to forget. Then they begin to try to talk about real life problems and solve those issues. But they forgot, you can't afford that! In the political world that is pretty much what it comes down to, money. If it weren't for money, everyone could have everything and anything they wanted anytime they wanted it. But that isn't the real world, real life at all. 

  What I'm trying to say is it was better, in my opinion, when we were allowed to have that fantasy world. I admired Mickey Mantle, Horace Clark and Thurmond Munson for their ball playing prowess. I had no interest in their personal lives, their weaknesses or failures. It was great believing that they didn't have any of those. As a kid I tried to be like them, yes it used to be a good thing to emulate your heroes. That was when our heroes set the example, at least what we saw of them did. Yes of course they were just people like you and I, deep down we all knew that, but the evening news wasn't spreading their personal shortcomings. The entertainers, whatever their field of exertainment was, certainly didn't make any of that public. And, more importantly, they kept their personal opinions, well personal. I couldn't tell you the political affiliation of a single sports person or musician. I suppose you could say that began a bit with the Beatles, at least with John Lenon anyway, but he was British, rich and doing drugs. I wasn't taking anything he said seriously.

  We wonder why all the violence, all the dissent, all the unrest in the world today. I'd say it was because a great number of the youth today are emulating their "heroes" of today. And what are those heroes doing and saying? In general they aren't promoting virtuous behaviors. When I was young we thought of ourselves as rebels. Well, they sure have taken the rebel thing to a whole new level that much is certain. Just a cursory review of the popular music and movies of today will show you that. And it isn't just in one genre, it is across the board. You know the thing is this, in years past people were doing pretty much the same thing they are doing today, fact is, they always have. The other thing is, they didn't talk about it, broadcast it, or insist others adopt it. Everyone was aware of the standard. That standard wasn't mentioned however unless someone violated it. In short, as long as no one talked about it the fantasy remained. You know fantasy gives us hope, makes the impossible seem possible. That is what I grew up with. Today the message is quite different. Heroes are everyone. Flip a burger at Mickey D's because you're an unwed mother, hero. Point out the shortcomings of others, you're a hero. What I was taught was doing the right thing was what was expected. That didn't make you a hero. Heroes were those that were the best. The illusion was preserved as long as possible. There has been a lot said about John Wayne in recent years. Some would remove him from the walk of fame and take away his awards. Some would erase that hero. All I can say is this, when you remove and erase the heroes the society is in decline. Yes heroes are beings of legend but they are necessary. Sometimes heroes are real people too. Not many of them left though, killed off, cancelled altogether. It's a subconscious thing. If we don't have heroes we have nothing to aspire to. We just make ourselves the hero and problem solved. Doesn't require much effort to just do whatever you feel like doing. You can simply pat yourself on the back and tell others how wrong they are.