Fame….
Something many people strive for. In many ways this is understandable. Who doesn’t like being recognized and known ? Who doesn’t want to leave behind a legacy ?
Certainly in my own life my little bits of radio work, or my writing on this blog are enhanced when someone recognizes them.
But what kind of fame should we strive for ?
Many kinds of fame are fleeing, including the kinds many work the hardest for.
The fleeting nature of Hollywood fame is well represented in watching old television shows.
Watching an old Barnaby Jones courtesy of Netflix and the episode features a “special guest star”, usually a title credit reserved for someone with a bit of gravitas.
The name was unfamiliar to me. In checking IMDB I find she was once seen as an up and coming film star but it never materialized.
She did do a lot if episodic TV though.
Not meaning to denigrate her, she had a fine career but I can’t help wondering if that special guest star status came to haunt her…. unaccomplished dreams
One of the actors in the episode was Richard Bull, well known for his role as Mr. Olsen on Little House.
But this was before he got that part so he didn’t even merit mention in the opening credits.
He’d been an actor for years but still struggled.
Yet he was a year away from fame and success. Though even there it seemed to be a humble fame, one that he took in stride but never took too much stock in.
Of course not all of us can have such fame or success so what can we strive for ?
I think it is the kind of fame that dwells in the eyes of one person.
The child that looks up to us when we read them a book or teach them a new idea.
The veteran who we give an extra smile and pat on the back for their service.
The friend who we spend time with even when it’s not convenient because we know they need someone to just listen.
This I think is the kind of fame we should all strive for, and while it might not be as broad as Hollywood fame it will almost always last much longer.