I Gotta Be Me!

Yes, confession really is good for the soul. Since admitting to my weakness for fame and celebrity I actually feel that the load of life has been lightened a little. There is nothing noble or worthy about wanting to be in the limelight, but as I continue to reflect on the matter it seems at least understandable. It is idolatry to be sure, but my earliest of memories are of people of prominence. Such is a relative thing, starting with the profound impression made by one’s parents but quickly broadening to encompass those whose stature and achievement are for whatever reason promoted by the society and culture. One isn’t in this world for long before s/he realizes that popularity is real, and to realize that one is or isn’t. I doubt that I was alone in thinking early on that to be a “star” was preferable to being nobody. Nobody doesn’t light up the silver screen, author books, sway public opinion, etc, and that’s what reduces them to nobody. Somebody is just that because they are recognized, sometimes respected, sometimes reviled, but never relegated to the ranks of the unknown. I honestly can’t recall a conscious moment of thinking that I would be better off nobody than somebody, and there begins the tale of forever striving to be somebody. Relativity factors significantly in such a quest: is it sufficient to be somebody to your parents, to your extended family, to your community, to the nation, to the world? Is being center on a football team as good as being the quarterback (the answer to whether or not it is better to be on a football team at all is obvious)? I’m rather enjoying this limelight I’ve created for myself and I intend to bask in it for a while whether you care or not.