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