William was powerful, influential, a “leader of the pack.”
People revered, quoted, even feared him.
You walked lightly around William because if he outed you, your days of having any status with the in crowd were numbered.
William possessed an astonishing arsenal of tools for manipulating others. He was cynical, funny and volatile. His quick tongue could recast any situation to his advantage with a logic that, in the heat of the moment, seemed weirdly plausible.
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| Me as an impressionable teen |
As a teenager, I watched him. Emulated him. William became my hero, I his disciple. He was 10 years older than me and barely knew my name.
Thus in my formative years I skipped over beer and pot and went right for the hard stuff: winning. A truly euphoric drug.
William had taught me well.
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40 years later, I have no clue of William’s whereabouts. I’ve long since ditched him for Jesus.
And now I have the opportunity to model something for a younger generation (or two). What will it be? The William-style wisdom of one-upsmanship and sarcasm? Of gaining advantage?
That is my fear. Perhaps, however, I’ll be given the grace to demonstrate a life of service, care and a softer tongue.
How about you? What are you currently modeling? What do you wish to model for the watching eyes around you?
Feel free to leave a comment or email me.
