Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Fame (I'm Not Mad)

 Since The New Girl has to stay in Ohio to take care of her mother during her treatment - it's just best that we take a break.
(There is no benefit to settling for visits every two weeks or so for the next who-knows-how-many years.)
I'm now in the process of interviewing prospective New-New Girls.
One prospect commented that I always look serious.
But I never noticed this, it's just that I always have a lot on my mind.
She (as well as I) cannot understand how I can still manage to be popular even though I'm not necessarily 'nice'.
When she asked people about me, "Everyone loves John", is what she says people say.
"How are you so popular?", she asked.

But one thing I never understood or desired was popularity - and as far as "Fame", oh hell no.
Yeah... I can easily come across as being popular in most situations - but I just don't know 'Why?".
And the thing is, I'm never really popular - I just seem as though I am.
(Just like I'm not realy good-looking - I just look like I am.)

 Since I was a kid I've always favored the anonymous guy who swoops in, solves the problem and then leaves.
My first mental image of someone like this was the Silver Surfer.
When the surfer rebelled against his creator - I could relate.
When the Surfer was then deemed to be reprobate - I could also relate.
But the Surfer still did that which he believed was right.
While acting as the herald to the destroyer, the Surfer was seen as a 'Bad Guy' but the Surfer still strove to do good.
 Later in life, the Biblical and mythical Magi became my mentors.
Their spirituality and knowledge of the sciences allowed them to move freely (to an extent) where others feared to go.
Their abilities were so misunderstood that they were thought to be greater than the common man.
(Which is odd because 'humilty' is a trait often associated with the Magi.)
In the Biblical context, the Magi were seen as the 'Good Guys'.
 Still later in life, the Seraphim played a part in modeling my behaviors.
Neither good nor bad - A Seraph just did that which needed to be done.
But then The Matrix movies just solidified this model.
I just liked Seraph's cool and deliberate fighting style.
He was never excited or angry - he was just doing his job.
(The part was initially offered to Michelle Yeoh and then to Jet Li. Either could have played the part well as each also has an aggressive yet elegant and controlled style of fighting.)
The 'Kung Fu' angle stuck home because it refers to a skill acquired through long and hard work.
Most people think of being prosperous as living a life of relaxation and ease - but this is not the case.
Biblical stories tell of heaven being filled with people having specific 'jobs', of the rich man seeing that his barns were full and deciding to relax only die soon after and/or telling of future heroes being discovered while doing their daily chores.

Popularity, fame, status...?
You can have them - I've got other things to worry about.

1 comment:

DF said...

When things come to you with ease then people assign you whatever attribute they think brought it to you.

Personally I think the understanding of life more than your average produces something that people can't identify. So you end up being similar to all good things because they can't identify why the world seems to bend your way.