People are inspired by many different ideas and other people. From ancient philosophers, artists, and inventors, to modern day teenagers and businessmen; all have been inspired by some sort of role model. In the society we live in today, we are faced with many different role models, whether in a negative or positive light. The media has a major role in this portrayal of celebrities; People Magazine and TMZ have made their reputations on spotlighting celebrities in their worst moments, from a drunken Lindsay Lohan to an exposed Paris Hilton. These pictures and stories can lead many teenagers and children down the wrong roads. Personally, I choose not to bother with any of these gossip stories and scandalous celebs; instead, I am inspired by two men that greatly appeal to where I want to be later in life. As a major sports fanatic, I love great sports stories, my favorite being the story of Josh Hamilton, a professional baseball player for the Texas Rangers. Hamilton was a promising prospect out of college, being the number one overall draft pick of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He later made his MLB debut on April 3rd, 2007, for the Cincinnati Reds. His promising career was about to start. He now plays for the Texas Rangers and is an elite hitter in the league, but that is not what makes him inspirational. Hamilton’s story starts in the early part of the decade, when he encountered drugs and alcohol; this would trigger years of battle. He became highly addictive to the drug heroin and abused alcohol frequently along with it. Now Josh Hamilton bares tattoos from when he got when he was high and drunk, scars of where he once was. Hamilton is now a premier outfielder in the MLB and played a significant role in the Texas Rangers’ World Series this year despite their loss to the Giants. To pick himself up from as low as someone can go, that being addicted to such a powerful drug as heroin, and now be an All-Star in baseball is something that should never be overlooked by anyone. Hamilton’s successes are more than baseball, they are a motivation to all of us that we can rise up from anything. My other role model is the financial genius Warren Buffett. Buffett is one of the world’s richest men alive, but not because he is a good salesman or owns one major corporation, but because he knows exactly where and when to invest and maximize his profit. But what is also so inspiring is that he is so humble about his riches; he still lives in the same house in Omaha he purchased in 1958 and has no urge to spend away his money.
Aaron Saber, I think the person you chose in Josh Hamilton and the story that goes along with such an elite baseball player was perfect for this topic. As you said prior, Josh Hamilton is now one of the greatest hitters in Major League Baseball and almost no pitcher can be comfortable when he steps into the batters box. In the early 2000's he experienced with drugs and alcohol and was considered to be an alcohol. The fact that he was promising before all of that happened and then fought back after it happened to let himself go back to his glory is just phonomenal. The fact that you mentioned early in your blog about TMZ and all of the other magazines and television shows profit on other celebrities in their worst state. I agree with you completely and that is why I chose the person I did. I did not state any celebrity that I look up to because honestly there is not celebrity that I would like to model myself after in the future. People like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton live for the spotlight and other people knowing exactly what goes on in their life on a day to day basis. That is most definitely not something that I would be up for when I grow older. The point about Josh Hamilton still having scars from when he was a drunk and a druggy in the form of tattoos is also very strong because it shows that he does not get to completely forget about his past. He still has to go through every day looking at himself and seeing the person he was. This makes him all the stronger because he fights his past every day. Drunks and druggies have trouble permanently getting over their past and it is crystal clear that Josh Hamilton most definitely did.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 01/30/2011 at 08:07 AM
First of all, I would like to compliment you on how well-written this blog was. Honestly, this is a very good blog of yours but what makes it so much better is your grammar, quite honestly it excites me. Anyways, on to your blog, I very much agree with you on you idleing of Alexander Hamilton......I mean Josh Hamilton. I also agree with you about the common celebrities of this day including but not limited to Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, not mentioning that they have nothing to give to the table, they only get the attention of teenage girls in a bad way and force them to do things that they would not want their grandmothers to see. Moreover, Alexander Hamilton.....ahhhh why do I keep messing this up?, Josh Hamilton has risen from his past mishaps and turned into not only a superstar in the MLB, but also a respectable man. He wears the scars on his arm, which I am sure remind him of his dirty past, have merely motivated him to be a better man. I also like your idolisation of Warren Buffet. He is extremely conservative with his money and is not materialistic at all. This is a great man to model your life after. He is not greedy, selfish, or cold-hearted. He is a modest capitalist who is having an incredible life. All in all, your selections were great choices. I especially like your idolisation of Warren Buffet because his ways of life should be better examplified by the entire United States, which leads to your opening argument. People are paying too much attention to the unimportant people/celebrities who like to expose themselves or enter themselves into rehab at least 6 times a month. Once again, well-written blog Saber....bon jour.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 01/30/2011 at 08:08 AM