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In the 1987 movie The Untouchables, Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness reaches a point where he realizes his pursuit of maintaining the “lawful” has been done without much respect for the law. As he tries to justify this to himself, he says, “I have foresworn myself. I have broken every law I have sworn to uphold, I have become what I beheld, and I am content that I have done right!” This rationalization comes after a long, fruitless pursuit of Al Capone.
A part of that sentence has been replayed in my mind a million times since. I simply stop to check and take a personal inventory. Inverting the idea, I “behold what I have become.” And I try to contrast this objectively with others around me. What measuring tools are available?
A Time-Consumer
One of the most prominent measures of a man, I find, is what he does productively in his spare time. I don’t have to look too far to find the number-one consumer (waster) of spare time--modern television. Over three-hundred channels are available to me, but I find Cavaliers basketball games, Andy Griffith reruns and Monday Night Football among my only favorites. I can get these programs without a hefty satellite bill, but the family has different wants/needs. My boys are hung up on the nature reality shows and … uh … (be strong here, Ronnie) the … Food Network.