Nathan Lauer
“You’re French, nobody likes the French,” said one kid, “You s--k, leave,” said another. As the situation exacerbated, I felt a lot of pressure to join in, to the point where I nearly said something I would have seriously regretted. Fortunately, I was able to catch myself and said, “Hey! We’re all just trying to have fun, stop with the comments and let’s play ball.” Thankfully, the others stopped their comments and the situation was resolved. From that time on, this boy and I have been bestfriends, and I have discovered that he is a truly fine person.
My father always says, “If you were a mensch and did not get hurt, then you won the game.” A mensch is a person of high character, kindness, and decency. In this manner, I definitely “won” that baseball game. My father is leader in his field by seeking not only knowledge, but wisdom. He is an outspoken critic of physicians’ financial conflicts of interest; he feels that they should not only disclose them, but eliminate them. He is incredibly successful in identifying right and wrong, and I believe, and hope, that he has passed this ability on to me. To do always what is right, in a tactfuland sensitive manner, is a value that my parents live their lives by, and one that I truly hope to emulate.
My parents named me after the biblical prophet Nathan, who knew how to address the mistakes of the mighty King David in a manner that caused David to say, “You’re right, I’m wrong.” The ability to distinguish right from wrong, and to communicate this with sensitivity, is the foundation ofall relationships, trust, and friendship. I have tried my best to live my life by this value, and it guided me that day on the baseball field.
The Golden Rule is a fundamental pillar of Judaism, and I always try to act accordingly. To act with kindness, generosity, and acceptance, without expectation of reward, is to lay a stone in the building of a more peaceful society. Over time, I have come to recognize the importance of these values throughout the entire world: for years now my true dreamhas been to work towards international cooperation in space colonization. I feel that space will be the “final frontier,” and it is exceedingly important for humankind, not any particular nation, to colonize space.I hope that if I adhere to the Golden Rule in my life and work,that others will be motivated to act similarly; and that if we work together, mankind will have a peaceful future in space.