I’ve been thinking about role models

 

We're all role models whether we mean to be or not.  We don't get to choose who we influence; it's unavoidable.

 

As kids, younger kids are watching and maybe modeling.  As young adults it's our kids watching what we say and do, even as we're finding our own way about what we think and feel.  Not only our children were watching, but their friends that were around the house were watching as well.  Maybe we even influence our contemporaries and co-workers.  We may help those in our orbit decide what and how they want to be, or even sometimes what they want not to be.  Even in our elder years we must be demonstrating approaches to ageing.

 

The point though, is that nobody gets to choose who they influence and who they don't.  You can't declare that you're not a role model and make it so.  It doesn't work that way.  We all own how we behave and the influence we leave.