“A Chip Off the Old Block” Versus “Chipped Off the Old Block”
When evaluating your own character and personality or the character and personalities of individuals around you, it is always interesting to consider what factors led to the development of these such things. Of course your upbringing has a great influence in addition to the effects the events of your childhood have, but I think the most important factors are the adult role models in your life. Whether it be a mother, father, aunt, uncle, grandma, or grandpa, the person you become heavily relies on these guardians. The important adult figures can play two different roles in developing the characters of the young ones looking up to them. First, they can inspire an individual to become just like them when they grow up, or secondly, they can show an individual exactly what they want to avoid becoming when they grow up.
For me, my mother and my father had the biggest impact on the person I am today. It’s scary to think that you can become the people you are surrounded with during your childhood, but many times this is the case. The effect these people have on your character is not always apparent, but they are there. Sometimes you may not even realize how much you are alike an important figure in your life until you experience yourself saying something they once said or doing something they once did. For me, this happens quite a bit. It is not one of those things that I realize right away, but I realize after taking a step back and pondering why I said a certain thing or why I did something else. There’s two major aspects of myself that I know I acquired from my mother and father. I got my resourcefulness and practicality from my father, and my more caring side came from my mother (Yes, I’m not afraid to admit this). Growing up with parents who lived around the time of the Great Depression, my father is a strict budgeter. Growing up with a farming family did not help, either. My father is one of those people to always look for ways to save money and never lets anything go to waste. I would always hear “You’re not getting up from the table until you finish your plate,” and “Don’t you dare throw that away!” Here I am at 19 years old, and I see all of that within myself. I’m just as tight pocketed and resourceful as he is, and I can often times see his conservative attitude shine within me. As for my mother, she is the sweetest and most gentle person I have ever met. I grew up hearing her say “You guys are my world,” when she would speak to my brother and I, and “I will get you everything you need, don’t worry about me.” The way she treats everyone with kindness and all the times she sacrificed for my brother and I is unbelievable, and her values and characteristics slowly instilled themselves inside me as I grew up. My softer side comes directly from her. As you can see, I am the product of my parents. Fortunately, I fell under this side of the spectrum that contains the “chip off the old block” cliche with inspiring role models.
On the other side of the spectrum is not the “chip off the old block,” but the “chipped off the old block.” In a picture perfect world, the adults in the lives of every child are wonderful people and even better role models. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Occasionally there is that one parent or that set of parents that turn out to be the kind of parental figures that are the exact opposite of role models. Sometimes the children of these people turn out to be just like their parents, but other times the behaviors of these adults influence children to avoid obtaining the undesirable qualities of their guardians. This is the side of the spectrum from which my mother came from. My mother grew up in a house full of alcoholics, but managed to avoid becoming rugged. Through the actions and qualities of her parents, she saw exactly what she did not want to be and developed into the caring and tender woman that I know and love.
As you can see, from generation to generation, the adult figures and the role models in the lives of each individual play a huge role in the development of the personalities of the people looking up to them. It is clear to me why my mother and father are the way they are, and I can see why I am the way I am. I’m sure if I continue backtracking, I may even be able to see how my grandma’s grandma even had an influence on me, whether it be from one end of the spectrum or the other. It is important to understand that it is a spectrum and that there are different scenarios that may fall somewhere in the middle of this spectrum, but the ends are still the most prevalent. As the younger generations traverse further into the teenage years and eventually adulthood, it is important to reflect on where you and your role models land on the spectrum. How have the adults in your life influenced who you are? If your parents do not prove to be good role models, how have they influenced who you are? We need to reflect upon this because the person you are will play an essential role when it comes to raising your own kids one day. Remember that you have a great deal of power over the little ones around you and that other adults in the lives of your children can also influence your children. Personally, I cannot wait to see how my own children turn out. I hope to find that one day my children reflect upon themselves and the role that I played in the development of their characters. One day, I hope that my kids are just as grateful for the qualities that I hand down to them as I am for the ones that were handed down to me. It is essential to remember that children are a product of their parents or guardians, whether it be directly or indirectly.
