A Role Model???

I watched as people gathered around the television to see Tiger Woods make his apologies and say whatever words he was going to say. As the clock on tv counted down (yes, they had a countdown clock) to his big public appearance, I walked away. Most likely, I will never know exactly what he said in full because I have no desire to see it. He doesn't need to apologize to me. I admire Tiger Woods for what he has done for the game of golf and the obstacles that he has overcome in the process. My opinion of him has changed very little since December.

I am not disregarding what he did. Having an affair is wrong. Just like me, Tiger Woods has some shortcomings, or as I like to refer to them, character flaws. Tiger Woods is human just like me, you and the person that you will talk to immediately after you are done reading this. He is not a product of the factory of perfect human beings (this is apparently a new human factory that people think exists). The argument that I've heard from so many people is this... "He allowed himself to become a role model for the game of golf and therefore he has taken on certain responsibilities...and he let people down." I listened to a woman say "I used to tell my son that Tiger Woods was who he should strive to be like, but after this, I have lost all respect for him."

Maybe the difference between me and all of the disappointed people out there is that I've never seen Tiger Woods as anything more than an amazing golfer, just like I never saw Michael Jordan as anything more than an amazing basketball player or Steve Jobs as anything more than an amazing businessman. Why, you may ask? While I would love to be able to golf like Tiger, play basketball like MJ, or run a company like Steve, I don't know Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan or Steve Jobs and they don't know me. I've seen them on television during carefully planned and scheduled programming that promote what they are good at, but that's it. So here are my issues.

First and foremost, does anyone else find it to be a problem that a mother was so disappointed that as a result of her advice, Tiger Woods let her son down? She couldn't believe that Tiger Woods LET HER SON DOWN. Apparently we now live in a society where we pawn the responsibility of setting a good example off on those who are famous because they can also swing a golf club or act in a movie. Who were my role models? My mom, dad and grandmother. Why? Because they taught me how to live. They taught me to be the man I am today. Michael Jordan showed me how sweet a dunk could be. The craziest part is that I know my parents and my grandmother have made mistakes in their lives, some probably much greater than others. Nevertheless, just like when Michael Jordan had a bad game, I know who they really are and what they are capable of. I don't condemn my parents because they did something wrong. Michael Jordan's worst game didn't make him a bad player. When he missed a shot at the buzzer, I didn't turn my back on him. Even when he made a bad pass that everyone knew he shouldn't have made, I didn't consider him a failure in the game of basketball. He made a lot of mistakes playing the game that he was good at. A lot of people make mistakes doing what they're good at.

So what's my point? Before we start criticizing people on television for letting people down, lets take a moment to look in the mirror. Are we being the best role models that we can be for those we love and care about? Are we setting the best examples? Remember that just because there are no cameras there to watch your every move and no news reporters there to record every decision that you make, you may be a role model for someone too.

"To the world you may one person. To one person you may be the world."