In words and deeds, today's society loses respect. Respecting your elders and honoring your father and mother are no longer a given. We respond, we skip curfews, we neglect presidential speeches, and the states that make up this union are divided. In previous generations, respect for others, family, country and values ​​was rooted in everyday life. One can counter this position with the example of discrimination; However, even if prejudices extend from society to the military, not all are prejudices. Conditioned to see the world through a lens, it limits the landscape. Stereotypes should act as scripts to protect us, but to what extent do they hinder our horizons? As many of the previous generation exemplify, there is always a sense of hope; never go below the horizon so as to lose sight of the brighter days ahead. With the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 6, 1941, the United States became involved in World War II. As a nine-year-old girl in Paterson, New Jersey, my great-aunt Gladys remembers the widespread nationalism of that time as her community rallied around the nation's war efforts. This sentiment is comparable to that support following the tragedy of September 11, 2001. By abiding by rationing laws, searching for metals in their homes, collecting newspapers and stripping the foil lining of cigarette packets for scrap metal, the nation has united . My great-grandfather even organized people to donate blood to the Red Cross and took them out for "steak dinners" to "bank their blood." Everyone was hit. Outside of school air raid practices and blackout strategies, Aunt Gladys felt that the war had not directly invaded her young life, but she vividly remembers the sense of that period of... middle of paper... and of his dormitory mates. kept a daily bombing calendar; they wanted to monitor when efforts increased and decreased. These men refused to accept the given circumstance and devised a strategy to control it. Ultimately, through conversations with my mother's family, I have gleaned lessons to apply to our daily lives. These include respecting others, prudent use of stereotypes, and perseverance for a better tomorrow. Everyone has merit as we traverse the paths of life. However, I saved the most helpful one for last: Don't be afraid to admit when you're scared or unsure. For fear of ridicule and inappropriateness we refrain from asking questions. Asking questions is the greatest tool for understanding. Through inquiry we measure our level of knowledge and the comparative opinions of those around us. Research is the greatest impetus to learning, an endeavor that must be pursued by all.