Louisville Medicine Volume 61, Issue 9 | Page 25

REFLECTIONS WISHFUL THINKING? Teresita Bacani-Oropilla, MD I n the middle of winter, snow gently fell, blanketing roof tops, decorating tree branches, covering meadows and streets alike, hiding all blemishes and unsightly places and giving a sense of calmness and peace. A CD of beloved Christmas songs played in the background, highlighting the talents of past musical greats who had entertained millions in their time—Bing Crosby, Mahalia Jackson, Liberace, Rosemary Clooney, and others among them—all recorded on one disc. It was a brilliant idea, not only for the variety of talents, but also for posterity. Tastes and popularity of music and artists change through the years. What to a previous generation was holy, gentle, sweet, and evoked positive memories and feelings, may to another sound drab, slow, and not in sync with the supercharged atmosphere of theirs. In fact, a little child of five, requested to sing a Christmas song, asked “A real one or a clunky one?” This babe knew the difference between Silent Night and Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer. This exchange brings us to the present heroes and role models that we place before our youth. We wonder if the lives and ideals of Churchill, Thatcher, John Kennedy, John Paul II, Mother Teresa, and, most recently, Nelson Mandela have had an impact on their aspirations or their dreams. If these heroes belong to the remote past, or never paid attention, do our youth know about Doctors Without Borders, Operation Smile, missionaries to Haiti or starving African countries that help to house or feed displaced people? Do they know of the needs in their own back yards? We know they are bombarded with the rise and foibles of modern athletes and entertainers, heads of governments and financial institutions that have gone belly up, and popular politicians who have been given star status. Have the actions of these very visible people taken hold of their future ambitions? Do they think these are the ones they should emulate? It is disconcerting that the purposeful energy and sacrifices of people who attain prowess and honest success are not highlighted, thus encouraging others to do the same. When their faults are magnified instead, the luster of their accomplishments is diminished, and so are the good lessons derived from them. Could that then give our youth the wrong perspective - “Everyone for himself or do anything you can get away with?” instead of “I will try to be my brother’s keeper?” Should we then create a repository, like the CD of famous artists, of role models sans the blemishes which are inherent in imperfect mortals, if these mistakes are unrelated