Week of April 22nd- Assignment- My Mentor
Wes gives credit to being surrounded by people who kept pushing him to not fall into the trap of tunnel vision. They wanted him to see the endless possibilities that were out there in this big world as well as the unexplored possibilities that lay within himself. (Moore 179) He specifically mentioned his mom, grandparents, uncles, and aunts along with certain role models and mentors he looked up to. They wanted him to understand that he does not have to be a product of his environment (being born poor, living in Baltimore/The Bronx, not having a father in his life). He said these people in his life helped him discover what it means to be free (Moore 180). He encourages all of us to pave the way for the younger generation. We should strive to have our kids have a better life than we had. Then teach them to want the same for their kids and so on. Freedom is free in this country, take advantage of it and never be pinned down because of your environment or the people you are surrounded by. Branch out and befriend new people and your possibilities are endless.
It may be a redundant answer, but my mentor is my Dad. I think I have great proof of this as well. My Dad joined the Air Force right out of school, joined the fire department when he got back from military training, and went on to be a cop in Atlantic City working on the SWAT team and being a K-9 handler. As for me, I joined the fire department that he is in when I was a senior in high school. I did one year of college then left for boot camp to join the Air Force after my freshman year. While I do not aspire to be a cop in today's day in age, I have taken classes to be a private, certified bomb/drug-sniffing dog handler. I truly look up to my Dad and want to be just like him and do the things he did because he has given me and my 3 sisters and mother all we could ever ask for. Trips to Disney or the Florida Keys once a year, trips to Dallas, TX to see the Dallas Cowboys, there is no way I could ever repay my Dad for all he did for my family and I. He is my hero, and no matter how old I am, I will always say “I want to be just like my pops when I grow up.”
My Dad has helped me get this far because he has been through the same experiences I have when it comes to the training I went through to get where I am today. From showing me around the trucks on my first night at the station, to writing letters multiple times in boot camp, all the way to going to the dog handler classes with me and assisting being an instructor there, he has literally been there every step of the way for me.
Like Wes, I am not perfect. No one is, it is about the people you are surrounded by that help you overcome this helpless fault. No matter how imperfect one may be, being cared for by the people who are closest to you will help you reach your goals of being the person you want to be in the end. I have 3 older cousins who followed in my Dads footsteps and joined the Air Force and Army ahead of me. They all say they look up to my Dad as a father figure too. This helps me be able to look up to them since they are older and have been around the block longer than me. Find people who have the same kind of goals and aspirations as you and they can take you to places you have never thought were possible. It is beautiful to see the impact that role models and mentors can have on you and in your life.
Your dad sounds like a great man! I think it is so interesting how drastic of an effect parents can have on our lives. We idolize them without realizing it, and many times adopt many of their same behaviors and traits. I think this is very true of the story of Wes Moore. The lack of a father in both of their lives had a huge effect, in very different ways. I think they both grew up to be very similar to their fathers in certain ways. The other Wes Moore appeared to care more for his children, but in many ways he was absent, involved in drug dealing and crime, and lots of time away from home. This comment is by no means me saying we end up exactly like our parents, but certain factors in our lives regarding our parents influence us so much whether we want them to or not.
ReplyDeleteHello Tyler!
ReplyDeleteWith a dad like you have, I can imagine that you and your 3 older cousins will do great things when you have him as an example! I would consider my mentor my mother, she has paved the way for me when it comes to achieving all of my life goals, she has been right there supporting all of them. Parents really are our first mentors and potentially our forever mentors. Keep up the good work!
Hi Tyler! You should be very proud of your dad and yourself. There are a lot of people who wish they had an inspired person like your dad. He is a great example of a mentor. Glad you follow his steps.
ReplyDelete