An Apology Is A Good Thing; But To Think Before Speaking Is Even Better

Some things are just off limits. Older adults who criticize teens who are inevitably trying to grow into their own skin is one of those things. I can't imagine what it must be like to grow up in front of cameras that catch every angle allowed. I can only shake my head. I think back to my teen years and can remember how the most insecure of youngsters would say and do things that attempted to make the most secure teens question their sureness. In the past few days, I've watched Miley Cyrus on several talk shows promoting her new movie and thought how difficult it must be to maintain a young teen's image while minute-by-minute growing into real-world young adulthood. Admittedly, from what I've observed, she's handling it well. I couldn't help but think of other celebs who grew up in the lime light and along the way derailed from the illusionary "straight and narrow path" they started out on. I thought of how, like idolaters worship their gods, the paparazzi would flock around them every chance they got as though they might just puke golden nuggets or something. To these vultures every photo taken was a potential jackpot. But, the public is to blame because of the obsession to believe the falsehood that these people do anything differently than the pauper on the street. They may do it more lavishly; but, not much, if at all, differently. But as I thought of the most recent celebs who have crashed and burned emotionally, I could only pray that Miley would stay above this destructive fray. But some questionably age-appropriate poses done professionally and unprofessionally can only leave one to wonder what the next few years will do to her seemingly stable demeanor. Anyone who has lived through those tumultuous years knows well that no one escapes them error free. In fact I don't believe any decade of life is free of a blemish here and there. But to end this piece, in peace; just as I sat to write this blog I overheard Jamie Foxx offer an on-air apology to her. I'm sure she'll gracefully accept it. But the truth is, the damage is done. I didn't quite get the gist of his joke. And being a comedienne does not give you license to be ignorant. The best comedians have humor that most often derives from his own personal experiences. On reading of his insult, my first question was, "Who is Jamie Foxx that he is in position to be critical of any one?" The bottom line is that parenting is difficult enough. Growing from adolescent to adult is a difficult transcendence. Many have battle scars for life because of the mean spirits of others. No one needs the help of the outside world to make these confidence-building feats more daunting than they already are.