On the way up, on the way Down
Well, once more I have to apologise for my absence..if only I could blame a rich and exciting life, but that wouldn't be true at all, I've just felt a bit 'under the weather' and needed to take some time. Anyway, what has brought me back to the laptop ? Well, actually it's the subject of fame - obviously not my own, of course, as frankly, there are little known breakfast cereals with more of a 'name' than I will ever have. But just how it can affect people when it happens to them - either in reality or just in their own minds.
As an aside, I have never entirely understood why anyone would want to be 'famous', after all, hardly a day goes by when a celebrity isn't being admitted to a clinic for some ailment/addiction etc which hardly suggests being well known is exactly a 'happy' thing to be. On the other hand, I am sure there are many who reside in the 'public eye' who are as happy as clams, but they seem to be the ones who manage to maintain some kind of normality in what, at times, must seem a very unreal world.
So what happens when someone gets a degree of 'fame' ? Well, through my own observations, there seems to be two potential paths to follow, and, for me, one greatly outweighs the other when it comes to being truly successful. Firstly, there are those for whom fame has come at the end of a long hard-often disheartening- period in their lives, when all hope seemed lost and then suddenly, their book/song/play art was recognised by the world and their lives take a whole new turn. In my personal experience, these people often have no trouble at all, remembering not only where they came from but also how lucky they were. Very often they are beyond grateful to their new fanbase, never forgetting without those who bought or listened, their success might not have happened. Perhaps they understand, fame is generally a fleeting experience and so they make the most of every moment without ever forgetting, when the spotlight inevitably moves on to someone new, they will still need those friends and family who stood by them and so always treat them with love and respect.
Now, the second option...well, it seems the steps on this path are a little bit more dangerous as those who follow it, very often risk ending up alone. So how does that happen ? Well, like my first example, they too have worked for their fame, they are almost hungry for it and so when even the tiniest modicum comes their way it serves only to leave them wanting more. I think we have all witnessed certain reality tv 'stars' who don't seem to have any other talent other than either flashing various body parts or playing out their relationships in the tabloids. For a few months, their pictures dominate every cover, they become increasingly a part of the 'don't you know who I am ?' club and, as a result, start to believe they are the next big thing. Sadly, their lives sometimes quickly escalate into a world of excess and so the public is gleefully informed of every alleged misdemeanour, while the paparazzi go to even greater lengths to capture incriminating pictures. Finally, a new reality show begins and with it, new 'stars' are born and those who were once so popular, fade back into 'normal' life - but generally not without a desperate struggle to keep their place in the headlines before being forced to accept it's over - or they write a salacious book about the whole experience or release a workout dvd !
Perhaps if that adage is true, we will all have our fifteen minutes of fame, so which path will we follow ? Sadly, even away from the heady world of television, I have seen perfectly reasonable people change when they feel they're headed towards fame and it always saddens me, not because of any other reason than they seem to somehow 'lose' something on the way. I suppose that happens, almost without you noticing, after all, you're suddenly surrounded by people telling you, you're amazingly talented and so it must be easy to focus on their praise rather than reminding yourself you still have some faults. Obviously, this isn't the case with everyone, thankfully, I have also watched some deal with their new-found fame with a healthy dose of humour, accepting the plaudits while never forgetting who their 'real' friends are and keeping them close.
Fame has been likened to a drug, once you have even the smallest taste, you crave more of it...so maybe that's why some people lose their way, who knows ? All I can say with any real certainty, in the unlikely event that spotlight ever hits me, I will try and make sure I keep people close, who will keep my feet firmly on the ground and never hesitate to remind me, what makes people lastingly special, is the quality of their hearts and not how many times they've been recognised in the street.
So before I go, you might be wondering if secretly I want a tiny dose of fame myself, after all, I write, make little movies and thrust them out into the world - but I can assure you my answer is a firm 'no'. I would like to earn some respect from those I admire, but that's about all really..aside from anything else, my life isn't nearly lurid enough to make headlines - not even on a good day !
Anyway, as always, I wish you well with all your hopes and ambitions..until the next time..
Take care out there xx
As an aside, I have never entirely understood why anyone would want to be 'famous', after all, hardly a day goes by when a celebrity isn't being admitted to a clinic for some ailment/addiction etc which hardly suggests being well known is exactly a 'happy' thing to be. On the other hand, I am sure there are many who reside in the 'public eye' who are as happy as clams, but they seem to be the ones who manage to maintain some kind of normality in what, at times, must seem a very unreal world.
So what happens when someone gets a degree of 'fame' ? Well, through my own observations, there seems to be two potential paths to follow, and, for me, one greatly outweighs the other when it comes to being truly successful. Firstly, there are those for whom fame has come at the end of a long hard-often disheartening- period in their lives, when all hope seemed lost and then suddenly, their book/song/play art was recognised by the world and their lives take a whole new turn. In my personal experience, these people often have no trouble at all, remembering not only where they came from but also how lucky they were. Very often they are beyond grateful to their new fanbase, never forgetting without those who bought or listened, their success might not have happened. Perhaps they understand, fame is generally a fleeting experience and so they make the most of every moment without ever forgetting, when the spotlight inevitably moves on to someone new, they will still need those friends and family who stood by them and so always treat them with love and respect.
Now, the second option...well, it seems the steps on this path are a little bit more dangerous as those who follow it, very often risk ending up alone. So how does that happen ? Well, like my first example, they too have worked for their fame, they are almost hungry for it and so when even the tiniest modicum comes their way it serves only to leave them wanting more. I think we have all witnessed certain reality tv 'stars' who don't seem to have any other talent other than either flashing various body parts or playing out their relationships in the tabloids. For a few months, their pictures dominate every cover, they become increasingly a part of the 'don't you know who I am ?' club and, as a result, start to believe they are the next big thing. Sadly, their lives sometimes quickly escalate into a world of excess and so the public is gleefully informed of every alleged misdemeanour, while the paparazzi go to even greater lengths to capture incriminating pictures. Finally, a new reality show begins and with it, new 'stars' are born and those who were once so popular, fade back into 'normal' life - but generally not without a desperate struggle to keep their place in the headlines before being forced to accept it's over - or they write a salacious book about the whole experience or release a workout dvd !
Perhaps if that adage is true, we will all have our fifteen minutes of fame, so which path will we follow ? Sadly, even away from the heady world of television, I have seen perfectly reasonable people change when they feel they're headed towards fame and it always saddens me, not because of any other reason than they seem to somehow 'lose' something on the way. I suppose that happens, almost without you noticing, after all, you're suddenly surrounded by people telling you, you're amazingly talented and so it must be easy to focus on their praise rather than reminding yourself you still have some faults. Obviously, this isn't the case with everyone, thankfully, I have also watched some deal with their new-found fame with a healthy dose of humour, accepting the plaudits while never forgetting who their 'real' friends are and keeping them close.
Fame has been likened to a drug, once you have even the smallest taste, you crave more of it...so maybe that's why some people lose their way, who knows ? All I can say with any real certainty, in the unlikely event that spotlight ever hits me, I will try and make sure I keep people close, who will keep my feet firmly on the ground and never hesitate to remind me, what makes people lastingly special, is the quality of their hearts and not how many times they've been recognised in the street.
So before I go, you might be wondering if secretly I want a tiny dose of fame myself, after all, I write, make little movies and thrust them out into the world - but I can assure you my answer is a firm 'no'. I would like to earn some respect from those I admire, but that's about all really..aside from anything else, my life isn't nearly lurid enough to make headlines - not even on a good day !
Anyway, as always, I wish you well with all your hopes and ambitions..until the next time..
Take care out there xx
