Image was everything. There were dire consequences for 'bringing shame' to the family.
I remember then when I was told of death-row inmates who were taken back to their states of origin to be publicly executed. The idea was to encourage parents to properly raise their kids in order to avoid them bringing shame to the family name. It was also meant to serve as a deterrent to other kids from neighboring families, who wanted to toe the same criminal path.
A couple of years later, these all-familiar words died away. Or did they really?
Jobs became more demanding, leaving parents little or no time to bring up their children. This important task was left to nannies and sometimes neighbors. Children learnt to manipulate their parents' emotions to get whatever they wanted. Maybe the parents felt guilty about their absentee style of parenting and fell into this trap of indulging their kids. It was almost impossible for a lot of parents to say no to whatever their kids wanted. The cost of living went up; the need to make more money increased. Now, those parents who had constantly used the above cliche were now grandparents and had bills to pay. The cost of living made it difficult for them to maintain the standard of living they had. Retired and aged, they looked to the boomers' generation to help maintain their standard of living.
Guess what? The boomers' generation came under severe pressure. On one hand they had to live their dream- good education, a home and all the good things of life for them and their kids, on the other hand, they had to ensure that their parents were as comfortable as possible.
Some of the boomers thought of ways to increase their income; layoffs were becoming commonplace and jobs were like looking for a needle in a hay stack.
Eureka! At last, a lasting solution; multiple streams of income, extra work time in the office or more education.
No matter what path they chose, they knew somehow that there would be times when their integrity would be at stake. They knew that sometimes, they would have to make a choice between making more money and sacrificing integrity, or being unable to get a fat check in order to 'remember whose child they are.'
Maybe that is why the guy who manipulates the figures at work does what he does. He remembers whose child he is. A child of aged parents who he needs to buy a Bentley for. 'It's good investment', he thinks.'If I buy all the precious things for my parents, my kids would do the same for me.' No wonder the wedding singer who was meant to sing at my sister's wedding disappeared on the D-day, with the full payment for his services. No wonder he kept acting like butter couldn't melt in his mouth and he couldn't hurt a fly. He just had to get his hands on the dough. Remember, he is indeed a thoughtful child. The corrupt politician? The bad cop who covers up for criminals? The preacher who's turned church to a money-laundering platform?
It saddens me that society has turned a blind eye to ills and decadence cropping up on a daily basis. Corrupt leaders flaunt their ill-gotten wealth and receive standing ovation for doing that. People without finances are treated like scumbags and the real thieving scumbags treated like kings.
Is it any wonder that a whole lot of people now do anything and everything to amass wealth? Would society turn a blind eye? Sometimes, I think 'Yes'. Then I take a second look and see that because one finger is soiled doesn't mean that the other nine are. The remaining four fingers on one hand could be partly soiled, but you've still got five clean fingers. Corrupt people might have a great following, but it doesn't mean that everyone would follow and support their actions. Time has proven that even the corrupt followers desert their leader when the tide changes. One must be careful not to soil one's 'family name'. It could be your company or personal image that stands as the 'family name' here. Do people associate that image with something positive or do they have only disparaging comments for it? Does your image represent integrity, truth, dedication, diligence and excellent customer service or does it make the public want to puke or invoke feelings of anger, helplessness, frustration and resentment.
No matter the bills you or your organisation have got to pay, no matter how tempting it is to doctor the books; no matter how lucrative that shady 'business' seems; no matter how difficult it is to maintain your elite standard of living because of the soaring cost of living, always remember whose child you are. Forgetting and dabbling in vices could be loads of fun, but when it comes back to bite you in the back, it sure bites hard, taking with it a pound of flesh.
Sometimes, people think public relations and image branding is a magic diet pill. You eat all the junk you lay your eyes and hands on, then employ a strategist who pops you a pill before you go to bed, in order to make the consequences disappear. Lovely idea, but far from reality. Your image/name is your legacy; and one makes a conscious effort to build a good one. Would it be perfect? Far from it, but it would definitely be better than doing nothing at all and letting it rot away.
I remember whose child I am. Do you? Let's share on Twitter @talk2vickieo
Have fun living your best life now.
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