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And now you're famous.
24 · Aug · 2006
I know a few people who were once like you and me but now have so many "friends" they can't tell the real relationships from the shallow ones. They were once just regular people trying to get a job that didn't suck the living spark out of them. That is when we met. At cafe's or friends houses or bars. Perhaps some of them were down; didn't have enough money to buy a beer or enough confidence to NOT sleep with whatever showed interest in them. And I listened. I hugged and smiled and, dammit, I meant every word.
But fame, even just a little bit, is a powerful thing. It's extreme and nearly ALWAYS has extreme results.
My list of friends in entertainment is long. But cross off those who I can still share a decent conversation with and I can write those names on my palm. This makes me sad sometimes, mainly because I know that these people will not always be famous and I wonder what will sustain them then? When they are no longer flying around the world and the fan base dwindles, what will they do with all that time? All that time to think.
What happens when we are no longer pretty or witty or wise? Or - even when we still are those things but we are not "in" or "cool" anymore?
Nothing damages an ego more than expectations that are unreasonable - whether from other people or ourselves. I'll tell you now that my self expectations are too grand to even speak of for fear I will be committed. Move a mountain? Pishaw! That's nothing. But what if you expected me to move mountains and insulted me or ignored me if I didn't? That... that's bound to screw me up.
A part of me wants to post thier names, even thier faces on my blog. I want to scream:
"REMEMBER WHEN YOU GOT DRUNK (ON ONE BEER) AT THE RACE TRACK AND TOLD ME YOUR WIFE DIDN'T LIKE YOU? REMEMBER WHEN YOU STAYED AT MY HOUSE TOLD ME YOU HAVE A SON THAT NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT? REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE DRUNK AT JJ'S MARKET AND QUOTED ME? ARE YOU STILL WEARING A CROSS, A STAR OF DAVID AND A SAINT? REMEMBER WHEN YOU ONLY HAD ONE PAIR OF PANTS?
I DO.
Posted by Penny Rene at August 24, 2006 10:52 AM
Comments
Penny,
I just love it.
My thoughts and beliefs
Posted by: Charles on August 24, 2006 11:56 AM
I'm curious to know who those people are. But then again, it's not my business to know whose wife doesn't like them, or who has a son that no one knows about (that one got my attention the most). If you moved a mountain, I would tatoo your name on my bicep.
I just might tatoo your name there anyway.....
Posted by: Larry on August 24, 2006 12:34 PM
I can definitely relate to this--specifically with one friend--a friend I care about deeply. I do think that he is very aware of what is happening, though, and for that I am thankful. Changes are always really hard and the older I get the more sensitive my bullshit meter gets. I have little tolerance for shallow individuals (even though I can be at times) and I have a hard time seeing my friends with them as well. Did you read the article about fame in the New York Times this week? Fascinating. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Your's is fantastic.
Posted by: Lynn on August 25, 2006 06:01 AM
Penny,
I totally agree with the theory about the mountain, the expectations and their effect on one's ego. I would add to this that we should only limit ourselves to having the position of an observer towards such persons, and learn from what we see; because we cannot, in any way, drastically influence the evolution of someone who's brain sets unreasonable goals. Sooner or latter, depending on the intensity of interaction that life will make them face, and on the importance of the decisions they are required to make, these people WILL FAIL. And although they might not be affected too much about it, their failure will be noticed greatly by those around. There is a saying “the higher a monkey climbs up a tree, the better you can see it’s butt”. I say we cannot change these people, we should just let them be, let them get out of our life if they want to, let them not remember things, let them filter themselves out. Because if that brain doesn’t work well, and sets unreasonable expectations, we should not expect much good to come out of it. One’s common sense, intelligence or intellectual capacity is genetically set. Fame is merely an increase in the attention that one gets. It is not necessarily an attribute of value.
Posted by: Gabriel Popa on August 25, 2006 08:46 AM
Thanks for your comments. I love that my readers are genuine and so damn smart!
"Fame is merely an increase in the attention that one gets. It is not necessarily an attribute of value. "
Gabi, that's it exactly. (:
Posted by: Penny on August 25, 2006 01:23 PM