Findingyourguidinglight

n a world that does not offer one a solid role model, I have always wondered who would be my role model. You JOE ELLIOTT know, the person who was ·going to help make me make the right decisions when the time came.

In today's world, we are almost told to have certain people be our role models. Sports figures, movie stars and singers are probably the most popular role models in today's world.

When we were younger, we thought that the best people in the world were Bugs Bunny and Big Bird, and as we grew older, we slowly changed our leaders to parents and teachers. For some reason, sports figures and others have been able to make their way into staying a part of our lives.

Sure, I admit that some sports figures deserve to have the recognition and the honor of being a role model, but at the same time, why do we choose sports players? It seems as though we are picking up players and only looking at them for their on-court attributes-not looking at what they do off the court, which really matters.

I feel that by choosing sports figures to be our role models, we are not really making the right choice.

In my life, I really never figured that I would have that many role models.

I always figured that I could not find somebody that was going to help shape my future.

I kind of relied on just having a bunch of people influence me. I guess you could just figure that I have a lot of role models, but never really wanted to have one.

But over the past couple of weeks, I really have been looking to one person to get me off my rear end, and there has been only one person that I could really think of in my mind that can make me try harder.

Sure, I thought about both Dr. Jerry Zurek and Steve Murray, but they are more like people that instill a constant set of fears into my head, so I had to go to somebody who was not going to scare me with big words all the time.

In the past couple of weeks, I have really learned to appreciate my family and what they have done for me, especially my father, who has worked extremely hard over the past couple of years to make sure that I have gotten nothing less than the best.

It really amazes me when I speak to my dad,

INick-but I call him Dad-just bow hard he really tries.

It seems as though over the past couple of months, his voice on the phone sounded tired, and I never really thought about it until I went home for Christmas break.

I really felt that I bad not spent that much time with my father. Usually when I would go home, I would stick around for a little while, then I would go out with my friends.

But this time, I tried to make it different. I really was able to sit down with my father and talk about life. I was so surprised that my father was able to convey to me a large amount of his thoughts and feelings.

He told me that he was really happy with all the work that I have been doing and that I was finally working to a level that I should have been working at since I got to Cabrini.

It's not like I was surprised that my father was happy for me, but I was really happy to see that he shared a common knowledge in what I liked doing.

Sure, he told me that I was taking years off of his life by writing for the Loquitur, but he told me that he was happy that I was making ripples in a oncestagnant school. But he wanted me to start to explore more options. He figured that I was not going to get that much out of life by just complaining, and even though I had some pretty good articles, sooner or later the albino deer was going to pass away and I would have to find something else to report about.

He was the one that helped me choose to pick up graphic design as a second major. He has really made me feel as though he has no problems with my decisions.

I feel that role models are people that really need to help you in the world. They are the types of people who are supposed to make you think. I know that my dad has really made me think. He has taken the time to make sure that I am constantly thinking about my decisions. A role model is the type of person who is supposed to challenge you and make you think.

My father has definitely made me understand the ideas of working and having responsibilities in life. I'm pretty sure Mark McGwire and Michael Jordan can't make me do my homework and tell me that they care about me.

One thing is for sure: when I get older, I will only have one person that I can attribute my future success to.

Thanks, Dad.

JoeElliottis a juniormajoringin English/ communication.Heis theperspectives editorof Loquitur.Hisobsessionwiththe albinodeeris becomingunhealthy.

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