Thursday, September 22, 2011

Loyalty

Whose side are you on?
What church do you go to?
What team picked you?
Are you in the green turtle group or the blue dolphin group?
What's your last name?

At an early age we are taught divisiveness that doesn't include a single numeral or symbol.  We learn that there is a place we "belong", and simply because of that we learn a loyalty to whatever group that may include.  Family, school, church, activities.  All of these offer an identity within a group, and the strength of that bond and connectedness allows for the learning of loyalty.  The sad news is that this process is slowly dying in our country.

What happens when parents divorce?  How can a child truly stay loyal to one parent without the feeling of betrayal to the other?  What happened to "For better or worse".  Too many times when the "worse" comes down, the loyalty to each other evaporates.  Our generations are learning that the average length of forever is 7 years.


 The very act of staying with an establishment even in times of disagreement is a rarity.  Explain why there is a church on every corner?  Is it because we just have so many Christians that we fill one and another house of pews needs to be built? Or is it that the inside bickering and disagreement of theology lends those to create their own church rather than remain loyal and work through the conflict?

I think the very core of loyalty is unselfishness. When the bonds of loyalty are tested and stretched, the truth shows one willing to honor a commitment,or oath, rather than choosing a different self serving option.


I suppose I think that loyalty should follow the following hierachy. Faith, Family,Country,Self. Certainly, the last one is important, but too often remains forgotten.  I think being  loyal to yourself makes it possiblle for your loyalty to grow in others.

 I know that one remains loyal to other things, but with the invention of free agency it's a little more difficult in football.

7 comments:

  1. "I think being loyal to yourself makes it possible for your loyalty to grow in others."

    I absolutely agree.

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  2. You made some really great points about loyalty. Well done!!

    Kathy
    http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com/

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  3. I agree with you that it all starts with being loyal to yourself! Very nice blog.

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  4. How can a child stay loyal to either parent who stay together only for the child when the child sees no love between them? I'm only speculating as my father's name according to my birth certificate is Unknown and indeed my mother was never married.

    I too, agree about loyalty for others stemming from self. ;-)

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  5. I agree with most of what you have said, gotta disagree with the child of divorce not understanding loyalty. For many, the lesson of survival is taught with divorce and the loyalty is often to the child, who's welfare is first and foremost.
    Self loyalty is the most difficult to learn, but also the most important.

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  6. "This above all: to thyself be true.
    Thou cannot then be false to any man." (Shakespeare)

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  7. Selfishness
    You are so correct. Our selfishness makes us turn on those each other.

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