Meaning of Mensch?

I will be among the first to confess, that I have a love of languages. I am only seriously a student of two besides my native language, however I have more than a few key expressions in perhaps half a dozen others. While I know I will never be proficient in all of the languages I know such phrases in, it is always nice to have one or two expressions in other tongues. If nothing else, it is dead useful for imitating accents (something which I am also rather fond of doing). Because of this love of languages, I am always fascinated when words from other languages find their way into English instead of the other way around. One of my favorite loaner languages is Yiddish, if only for some of the unique sounds in that particular language.

Among my favorite Yiddish words is the word 'mensch.' Growing up on the East Coast (more specifically in Boston) I heard much of this word. However, it wasn't until just over a year ago now that I actually wondered what the word 'mensch' meant. According to miriam-webster website as of 11:43 Pacific Daylight Time, 'mensch' can be interpreted to mean 'a person of integrity and honor.' While I have always hoped to be such a person, I know that I have often times failed. So here, I will keep a record of my attempts to be worthy of the title of mensch. I know that there will be many days when I fall short. I know that there will be times when I question just what I am doing or what I am writing. However, I hope that in time, all of these ramblings come together to show the progress of a young man who began admitting his failings to one who can be counted on by his friends, his family, and perhaps (someday) even his community.

So here's hoping that I someday will hear myself be referred to as 'mensch'. In the meantime though, I'm not holding by breath