There are times when I sit down and relive the old days in my mind, and as I think about all the things that I did as a youngster, I sometimes wonder just where did it all go?  Whatever happened to Roy and Gene, and the sincerity of those two as they intertained us with their movies? As a child we were subject to be part of the movie and really we thought we were right there with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, fighting the bad guys and helping the good people. You didn't see those two putting some lip holds on the ladies. When the show was over, there was an ever-lasting moral that went home with you.  And think about how those two lived their personal lives. You couldn't find two better examples of a role model, for the young people to follow. You don't get to see very many new westerns, and the ones that are on the screen today deal with profanity, nudity, and killing.

Take another example of morality in the old days, and that would be in sports. It was a regular scheduled night in our home to sit back and listen to the boxing matches. There were fighters back then that not only fought so that they could eat and sleep, but they also did it in a honest way. It was an honor to win a title and be called the best in your division. But it seems that now it is only a show headed up by match-makers who are in it for the dollar. The fighters of today boast about being the best, but when the big match comes around, it usually lasts only one or two rounds. That is pretty good hourly rates that those men have. About ten minutes work for a million dollars, is a great job to have if you want to do what the promoters want you too.  In my day, there was Joe Louis, Essard Charles. Jersey Joe Walcott, Joey Maxim, Sugar Ray Robinson, Archie Moore, Willi Pep, Sandy Sadler, and many more who did it because they loved the sport. They didn't make much money, because the managers kept most of the money. But their heart was in it and they intertained us very much.  Today, can you show me one fighter in big boxing that is in it for the sport. The only thing that speaks for them is money.

Take the sport of basketball, when it was a game for the fans to see because those guys went out and gave their all, to win the game. The money wasn't the greatest, but they enjoyed playing and the fans were there to watch two teams going at each other to win. In today's sport of basketball, it is the sight of a player who is making a million dollars a year, who sits on the bench because his back hurts or he has a bruised elbow. Talk about great paying jobs. Baseball is the same. Money speaks and for those who put out the big bucks to see a famous player, and then watches him sit on the bench in his street clothes, it is sad.

I guess that what I am trying to say, is where did the desire to do your job well go and why have we as the people who pay all these huge salaries, let it happen? Why do we put up with men who make over a million dollars a year, and spend it on dope,wine women, and whatever. Sure, it is their right to do what they want to with their lives, but do we have to use them as role models? Do we have to constantly just slap their hands and then watch them do it again.  I heard it said that you start out with a drop of water which can turn into a creek, which can turn into a stream, and then into a river. Are we letting this happen with our lives.  If you don't take the time to look at where you've been, you will never know where you are going.

We live our lives one day at a time, and we are not promised tomorrow. So to live with no respect for what got you here, would be like dropping into a deep hole that you can't climb out of. You build on your life one day at a time, and each time that you make that day one to remember, then you have stepped over that deep hole and are ready for the next one. To live with respect and morality, while you are here on this earth, entitles you to be a role model for some youngster growing up. To be there to help in raising our young people, is one of the chores that was instilled in us by our mom and dad. It doesn't hurt any to offer help to those who need it. And with the type of influence from some of our hollywood stars and the sport figures, our youngsters need someone who will take time to be there for them. The road of life is not one that is always easy. And for someone to have to walk it alone, it can either be a long one or it can be a very short one. We lose many of our young people to drugs, because it is the thing to do. We lose them because of the smoking and drinking, which shortens their lives, because they went too far.

Everyone has the right to live their life as they feel fit to, but do we have to use them as role models? What you do with your life is your business, but the thought of some youngster following your path to pain and distress is something that I don't care to see. If there are any youngsters out there that need help, I ask them to find someone who is clean cut, honest, and morally correct to follow.

So, until the next time, I hope that you will follow the straight road to your goal in life. Make something of this day and all those that follow. As always Uncle Ray is here to inspire you..

Ray "Uncle Ray" Day