Homage
Aw, such an old-fashioned word. Homage – a noun; defined as – respect, honor, reverence, worship, admiration, esteem, adulation, tribute, acknowledgment, recognition, and accolade; memorial services are an example. It’s a word we rarely if ever hear in our daily conversation and certainly rarely see exercised, at least the way I remember.
When I was growing up, certain values and behaviors were expected. It was the norm to honor our elders, parents, teachers, police, fireman, pastors, and most especially our leaders.
Our parents taught us to respect the individuals serving in these roles for the extraordinary contribution each one made to make our lives better, be it a home, education, or nation where we could grow and prosper. Today, it would appear those receiving recognition are the least deserving.
Sadly, paying homage is not only an old-fashioned word but an antiquated practice trampled beneath the feet of political correctness; our loss for sure.
“The Greatest Homage We Can Pay Truth is to Use it.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson – Click to Tweet
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Join the conversation. Talk to me or tell me your story. I’m all ears.
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I admit to being concerned about the new ‘me, me, me,’ generation – will they grow up in time? When they reach the age they expect to be respected and suddenly they are not – they have crossed that line.
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I’m seriously concerned about where we are as a society. In real life the only safe spaces we have are with our families. And, the very foundation of who we are is being threatened from all sides, refined, and dismissed. It’s not just respect we’ve seemed to have lost, we’ve lost our way entirely. Thanks for reading and contributing to the conversation.
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Somewhere along the line, we began glorifying bad behavior. Since its inception, television has mirrored the morals and values of our society. In my youth, the good guys always won and right triumphed over wrong. Shows like Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, and Andy Griffith taught integrity, principles, and respect for others. By the time my children came along, sitcoms were filled with smart-ass kids who ridiculed their parents and got away with it in the name of humor.
Today, almost any outrageous behavior can be justified and the only thing that seems to be honored is political correctness. Our so-called “leaders,” sports stars, and TV personalities are self-centered egotists exemplifying bad behavior and poor character traits. Those who do exhibit moral fiber and integrity are mocked and made fun of by the masses. We live in an all-about-me society where looking out for number one is more important than the public good. And the one who sets the worst example is in the oval office.
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Oh I loved those shows! There is a reason we often long for the “good old days.” I must respectfully disagree with the “worst offender.” Granted he can appear less than polished, but I believe we’ve had a “silver-tongued devil” in the office before and I’d say we’re far worse off. Check out my post on Medium, The Death of Civility and Respect. Just my two cents. We think more alike than we differ. As always love to have you in the Cow Pasture. Thanks for reading.
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It’s a great word, Sheila. I think people still do pay homage quite a bit to the people who live up to the principles of kindness, generosity, integrity, and justice (maybe it’s just me in my old age, haha). But it has to be deserved – based on character, not just on title – the opposite of political correctness.
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I agree to a point. When as a society we stop recognizing those who have sacrificed a life they can never regain to serve us in any capacity, we lose. We need to learn to communicate again and use our votes. Disrespect in any form is not a path to change. Just my two cents. 🙂
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I agree. Yelling at people rarely changes minds. “Political correctness” refers to “not ruffling feathers,” and I do think some feathers need ruffling. Dialog, education, and civility has a better chance of swaying opinion. And voting!
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I couldn’t agree more in “ruffling feathers.”
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