I remember when I did this weekly Torah Talks show with another bachelor, Rabbi Rabbs.
We had a regular viewer, a college student and Orthodox Jew, who told us once, “When I grow up, I want to be like you guys.”
I was taken aback. I don’t think I’m the worst role model in the world, but I would never wish my life on anyone. I would never wish for anyone to grow up to be like me. I know hundreds of better role models. I wanted to tell him, choose them!
So I understand what Charles Barkley meant when he said, “Athletes shouldn’t be role models.”
But whether we like it or not, all of us are role models to somebody. Role model is an assignment that life gives us and we can’t avoid it. We can either live up to the task to the best of our ability or we can fail not just ourselves but others.
