Who do people admire today, especially impressionable young people? It's not business men and women, doctors and lawyers, and certainly not those involved in government. Chances are it's the doped-up homerun hitter with an anger issue, the rock star that spouts the filthiest lyrics and gets into trouble by punching paparazzi whenever they please, or the professional football thug who thinks and acts as if he's above the law.

We pre-boomers lost our desire to idol worship a long time ago. Sure, I had my favorites while growing up. There was Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams in baseball, plus the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies "Wiz Kids" team that lost the World Series to the Yankees in four straight games. I still remember the names of entire starting lineup from when I was thirteen. There weren't any recording stars on my list since the rock and roll hoopla didn't get going until 1954; however, the girls of my era did go crazy over Johnny Ray and a couple others. My football heroes were college players until the mid-60s, when I was working in New York, and became a Jets fan; because Giants tickets were impossible to get. I'm not suggesting Joe Namath or any of the others were angles, but they didn't use being in the spotlight as an excuse to be downright hostile every time they came in contact with reporters or fans.

That was then and this is now. It could be the expansion of the news media and the 24/7 coverage. Or, the stress of being in the public eye to the degree that there is no privacy anymore. Of course, it might be the simple fact that attitudes have changed. Stars get paid a lot of money and many have a deep-seated feeling they can never live up to what they earn. The cocky ones, in particular, express their internal fears with outward demonstrations of anger. The ones that perform the best on the stage or the playing field are those doing it because they love what they're doing and love pleasing the fans.

People have said that everyone wants to be a star. Maybe it should be restated to say every young person wants to be a star, to be noticed, to be idolized, to be loved by everyone. This concept is what's behind the amazing display of poor behavior that pops up on the Internet in the form of home video or cell phone photos and clips. Why else would anyone post this trash that is degrading to them or others - making their 15 minutes of fame available for the world to see forever? Even acts of defiance are still cries for attention, suggesting that without help they could go off the deep end.

As pre-boomers, and the grandparents and possibly the great grandparents of the youth of today, you and I can be an example to them. Tell them about your early years and what you did to overcome insecurities through hard work that produced results in the classroom, on the playing field, and throughout your life. Even small successes have endowed you valuable experience to share with these young folks. And, while nobody can live their lives for them, you can help by providing the tools and the know-how to live and enjoy life. Because of the special bond you have with these loved ones, you can be their best role model.