When I was a young boy I was always looking around me to see who were the people out there who exhibited the best of what it is to be a human being. As you may suspect there were not that many back then either. In my little world there were a few who at times inspired me to be a better person, not through the carrot and stick approach but through just being really good human beings. But like all really good human beings there is the inescapable fallibility that always accompanies them. But I often didn't see the worst of what they were because they had learned the hard way and were not going to show that again.
As I got older I did admire many others for different reasons but the root of those reasons were usually if not always described by courage and bold leadership. The rest of us who were too timid for whatever reason to stand tall and shout at the wind were gifted with these few folks who entered into all our lives, through one bodily form or another. But make no mistake in my case as I can only speak for myself on this, I took their example and applied it to my life so that as I continued to grow as a human being I was filled with more and more examples of the best of what it is to be alive and a human being.
Now that I am old, and have actually taken many steps in the giants steps before me I feel a sense of reassurance that I, for the most part, got this whole life thing correct. I looked for people whose lives were honorably special and incorporated those same things into mine. I looked at leaders who were good and great in their humanity and courage and felt privileged to absorb their example as well. That was my life and in it were some great things that were done on behalf of others. That is what I learned from the dearest of leaders who were in my life. I wonder now who will be the example for those who come after us since the leaders now, republicans anyway, who are choosing us, so as to hide their own inadequacies, and not the other way around to exhibit their greatness?
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