Last night I was watching young Opie Taylor learn about sharing. You remember The Andy Griffith Show, don't you? It was about life in a small town, where Opie lived with his father - the town's sheriff, and his great aunt. There were laughs, but there were also a lot of life lessons.
In this episode, there was a collection for underprivileged children, and Opie only put in three cents, despite having a full piggy bank. His father tried to impress on him the importance of sharing and of helping out others. His father was also concerned about appearance. How would it look for the son of the sheriff to be so stingy?
When was the first time you ever did something for somebody else? Do you remember? Do you remember anyone ever teaching you these values? Is it important to get this message at a young age? Did you give out of generosity or because it would make you look good?
This show treated the subject well. It wasn't a new concept. They told the story in a fairly straightforward manner. At the end though came a surprise: Opie wasn't being cheap. He was saving to get a coat for a little girl who would shiver come winter, because her family could not afford a new coat for her. Opie, it seems, already knew the importance of helping others!
No comments:
Post a Comment