Being Human

Over the last couple of days I've been thinking about the fallibility of man. Headline news has been reporting a Canadian study that declares Mother Theresa should not be the destined-for-sainthood iconic figure. The criticism of excess charity money and how care is managed seems to me a perspective challenge more than misuse. Certainly no one is accusing Mother Theresa of gathering funds for personal gain, but more of an effort to promote well doing in the Catholic faith at a time when there has been much to criticize in terms of personal conduct and accountability. Faith is too often political within established institutions.  This criticism isn't only for the Catholic church, but for spiritual leaders and institutions of faith. for instance, the televangelist world was rocked during the 1980s with the fall from grace of the Bakers and Jimmy Swaggert, not only for financial mismanagement but infidelity issues. In comparison, a faith that honors suffering and acknowledges the inevitability of death as Mother Theresa believed does not seem to fit in the same category.

Athletes, politicians, musicians; any person who has a talent or gift that is revered too often becomes a hero. Charles Barclay's famous uttering that he is NOT a role-model created all kinds of controversy, but should it have? How to we teach our children, and by doing so build a generation, that great deeds and amazing feats are worthy of our admiration, but that behind those accomplishments is just an ordinary person. We get a little touchy about our heroes in the U.S. our founding fathers, legendary Preisdents and statesman all have conducted themselves, at some time, in a manner that isn't honorable. It has to be ok to separate the two. Too often such discussion simply labels you "un-American".

I had the opportunity to listen to the author Tonya Bolden at a conference as she discussed how heroes are often portrayed in the black community as one dimensional based upon their greatest work
or achievement. Her books differ in that they address the struggles that make the hero, be it Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr or George Washington Carver, real people with insecurities and flaws. Her
reasoning was how can a troubled youth or a child in a difficult environment connect to a hero that is more Superman than real person?

It seems to come down to what we honor. What are the attributes that we admire most in our fellow humans?  Personally, the things that I don't do well cause more reflection, and by virtue of reflection more cause for growth, than the things that I do well. Maybe that's why we want to look only at what our "heroes" do well. We want our Superman. Our spiritual guide. And by putting them on said pedestal we remove our responsibility to learn, connect, and grow by examining their lives as more than just one dimensional.

In celebration on Women's History Month, and yesterday being International Women's Day, how about we share a woman we admire and why?

I admire Maya Angelou for honesty in reflection. She makes no apology for her life choices, but examines circumstances with honesty and as a learning experience. "When you know better, you do better" is my favorite quote.