The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-06-26
TIE MAKING OF A MAN
By Mrs. Wanda HOLBROOK
in "The Uplift."

It has been said of young men
when they show exceptional val
OF, resourcefulness, initiative, or
courage that they; have the
making of a man" That is, they
possess those qualities which, If
developed in the correct way,
will enable them to become lead
ers and respected members of
society in their adult years.
To some extent all persons
possess the same qualities in
youth and yet due to environ
ment, personality differences,
and heredity the development
and growth of individuals are
greatly different. What causes
one person to succeed where an
other fails? Why does one man
attain his goals and another bog
down in the mire of merely ex-
isting? What enables one man to
be able to lead others and be-
come respected for wisdom and
courage, while another man
follows and is content to live off
others and does not attempt to
better his lot? OF course, there
are many reasons and you may
say that individual difference
takes care of all the questions.
This is certainly true as far as
it goes, and yet to look deeper
there are other reasons also.
A great poet has said that.
1.-THE child is the father of the
man." which is a great truth.
You are a child before you are
an adult and the childhood con-
stitutes the formative years. It is
here the foundation of your adult
life is laid and in most cases the
type of child you are will de-
termine the type of man you be-
come. If you learn in childhood
to shirk duties, shift responsible
tiles, depend on others for your
decisions, and hesitate to exer-
else those aptitudes you possess,
it is likely that these same
characteristics will follow you
into adulthood. That is why so
much emphasis is placed upon
the proper training and guidance
for young people, and why young
people need the help and under
standing of their parents and
other adults. AS young children
must be taught to walk, talk,
and express themselves so must
they be taught as they grow
older to accept responsibility,
apply themselves to their best
ability when at work or play,
and become honest and respected
citizens of their community. All
this cannot be done in one day,
or even a year. 1t must take place
over a long period of
time, even a life time, as the
mark of a great man is that he
continues to learn and grow in
his abilities and does not allow
himself to become satisfied and
self-complacent.
Quite often young people be-
come discouraged and ask why
it is necessary for them to have
to attend school, submit to au-
thority, or to be required to do
certain things when they had
rather do something else. To
them, many requirements placed
upon them by adults are useless
in their eyes and without con-
sequence. Yet if they will stop
to consider that restrictions are
placed upon them as a method
of teaching them, that they are
to perform certain tasks
as a method to learn to accept
responsibility, and that adults
are only trying to prepare them
for the difficulty of getting along
in a varied world; they would
understand and be more patient.
Every individual has the quail
tiles of "the makings of a man"
Some will become men because
they are laying in their youth
the foundations for worthwhile
adult life. Others win continue
to be children even though they
row old in years, because in