What is it about role models? Most of us are awash in them, even if we don't call them that.

Our readings, based on religious characters, helped us spot the powerful psychological mechanisms at work here. (They're idealization, projection and identification per our Jungian specialist). We certainly need role models in our spiritual immaturity, but we also must eventually transcend them and live the I that is Us individually. But that's getting ahead of our story.

Members recalled many role models from our growing up years: parents, other relatives, teachers, attractive or talented peers, entertainment and sports figures. Each was his or her own resulting kaleidoscope of impacts and influences. We all looked up to Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.

Some of our role models soured. One member mentioned how she idealized certain movie stars because of their performances but was dejected when she learned of their off-screen activities. "Take what you like and leave the rest,"suggested another. He then revealed his own life-long passion for novels and penning about fictional characters and various philosophical truths represented by them.

Negative role models came up. We saw we could learn a lot from a Judas or Hitler about greed, material goals, hatred and so forth — mental states any one of us could easily fall into.

One member takes Judy Garland as a role model. He loves the ability she showed to act and sing through all the pain, mental instability and addictions — even using them to fuel her art.

We lamented the lack of positive LGBT role models, particularly as most of us were growing up. There was Liberace ("I cried all the way to the bank,"he's reported to have said in response to rumors touched off by his flamboyance). There were also rumors about Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter, both deeply closeted. And then there were the endless jokes and gossip about anyone thought to be "that way"and headlines periodically about firings of "deviates"and "undesirables"from industry and government. Today, perhaps, we can see all who survived this morass as role models for grit and toughness.

We noted that a number of entertainment and even sports personalities are now willing to be "out". This surely will grow over time. The story of Korean TV actor Hong Suk Chon inspired us. (See New York Times page A-3, October 1, 2003). He came out three years ago and had to be taken off the tube after a huge outpouring of hatred and disgust. Apparently, Korea had never openly looked at homosexuality before but this action catalyzed discussion and transformation to such an extent that now the public are demanding his return. He'll soon appear in a new TV show. "This just shows what the example of one person can do when the time is right for an idea to break through."

One member gets together with a group of younger people on a regular basis to discuss spiritual ideas. There's a tendency to make him into a guru because of his age. He's working in Science to see each one as divine idea and Christ as the guru or teacher of them all. "Teaching's about drawing out the divinity of each one of us — not one person lording it over others."

A member telephoned in his share. He likes to engage friends in what he calls "reciprocal role modeling". This way he and his friends through discussion of what's going on get some feel and understanding of the grunt work of each others' lives and can decide whether to go forward themselves in similar areas. He also likes to experiment on his own with new activities by seeing them as a role in a play before deciding whether to fully embrace them in his life.

This reminded a member of where the word role comes from. It's French for roll — the parchment on which an actor's lines were written — and derives from the Latin rota or wheel. Roles are part of the wheel of mortal existence as they might say in Buddhism and ultimately we have to get off that wheel.

Our Jungian member seized on this idea to ask, "What are we projecting from our unconscious onto role models?"We can learn a great deal about our hidden and unacknowledged parts by identifying our role models and what traits in them we celebrate — then reeling them in "just like a fish", ingesting and living them ourselves. Is this what Jesus was about at the Last Supper? Was he saying in effect, "OK, I'm leaving, but before I do, take my essence or Christ into yourselves and live it. In other words, reel in the projection you've been making on me, find your own God-self within, live it and teach others to do the same."

A member read parts of an article from the Christian Science Monitor, page 9, of September 30, 2003. It's entitled "Underemployment: a euphemism for violent lifestyle change". The author and her husband have both lost their high salary and prestige positions and are now doing blue collar work, where they're sinking financially and suffering feelings of shame and degradation. They're waiting for the economy to pick up and restore them to glory.

Our member wondered what kind of "role modeling number"these people were perpetrating on themselves. Why not loosen up and enjoy what they're doing right now? The wife works in a movie house as an usher. "Couldn't she see it as church? A kind of cinema paradiso?"

Another member recalled being on KP duty in the army. He refused to go along with the mesmeric role of lazy, reluctant kitchen helper but beamed with joy and competency. He had a great time and was spotted by officers who asked for him to serve in their mess. Eventually he was made company clerk because of his attitude.

Another member recalled his understanding of how the Christian Science Board of Directors arrived at their anti-Gay posture in the late 70's. A non-Gay member of his branch church recognized a Board member at The Mother Church's Annual Meeting in, say 1978, and just asked him what they based their posture about Gay people on. He said they tried to figure out what Mrs. Eddy would have done! By which he doubtless meant some white haired Victorian lady instead of Christian Science. "So be careful when you use anyone, including Mrs. Eddy, as a role model!"

Another member had an instructive role modeling experience with a customer during the week. Her wallet seemed to disappear while he was working on her make-up. Had someone taken it from her purse while she was not paying attention? She felt bad about not being able to pay him right then but was otherwise serene and unperturbed. Our member was deeply impressed by her attitude. She said she would call later and bring his money by the next day. When she did call, she said she'd found the wallet at home.

We'll take on a two week topic to accommodate members who are traveling to the Key West meeting of Friends of Emergence, October 9-12. We'll work on Homophobia since there are at least three major LGBT issues coming up in the next two weeks:

• The Anglican conference in Canterbury concerning the new Gay bishop of New Hampshire.
• National Coming Out Day, October 11th.
• "Marriage Week"starting October 15th when both LGBT and anti-LGBT activists will address same sex marriage.

Notes will go up on our site on or about October 17th.