Price of Fame American Phenomenon
Just when I thought I've ran out of things to blog about, the news reports start rolling in. Not only in my life but on the national and international spotlight. In a short span we lost three American icons: Farah Fawcett, Ed McMan and Michael Jackson. On the international front, the uprising in Iran faded as the Obama administration made it's first declaration of war i.e. combat troupes in Afghanistan. In this post I'd like to write more specifically about what happened to Michael Jackson having died after being administered a drug that was only meant for operating rooms and how I connect with the pressure to succeed in this country. Many speak of the price of fame and I think in many ways this expectation and its potential harm is a common thread in our culture.
Personally, I think about how I need to make a name for myself, get a good paying job and raise a family. However, as I've begun my career I've realized a lot of things. In today's society havig a bachelor's degree is not enough for a good paying job, yet having worked since you were 16 isn't evidence enough of quality work experience. When I consider how hard I've worked and how on either side of me, those with more money get further and those with much less money are stuck. Often we talk about street smarts vs. book smarts, and ultimately in many ways money is the underlying factor. However, when we talk about health it becomes clear that what's on the surface is in most cases not a predictor of an invidual's ability to live healthy. Everyone is different yet, we all share very similar genetic make up.
What's my point? The point is that as an individual with a unique experience and outlook on life, you have the power to decide how you use the resources you are given to make what you want and keep what you've earned. Yet, we live in a country where those with power, money and fame are reverred. This is an unrealistic tenant to think that most Americans or even humans should strive for this. In our nation's history, we have chosen to measure power and success by what's on the surface and we are now paying the price. The choice-in the context of our three most recent celebrity deaths- is to use power as a tool to educate, use it as a tool to entertain or allow it to get the best of us. Thus we must recognized that many do not have the power to choose, but everyone has the power to be and in that simple term there is a lot of room for interpretation.
Personally, I think about how I need to make a name for myself, get a good paying job and raise a family. However, as I've begun my career I've realized a lot of things. In today's society havig a bachelor's degree is not enough for a good paying job, yet having worked since you were 16 isn't evidence enough of quality work experience. When I consider how hard I've worked and how on either side of me, those with more money get further and those with much less money are stuck. Often we talk about street smarts vs. book smarts, and ultimately in many ways money is the underlying factor. However, when we talk about health it becomes clear that what's on the surface is in most cases not a predictor of an invidual's ability to live healthy. Everyone is different yet, we all share very similar genetic make up.
What's my point? The point is that as an individual with a unique experience and outlook on life, you have the power to decide how you use the resources you are given to make what you want and keep what you've earned. Yet, we live in a country where those with power, money and fame are reverred. This is an unrealistic tenant to think that most Americans or even humans should strive for this. In our nation's history, we have chosen to measure power and success by what's on the surface and we are now paying the price. The choice-in the context of our three most recent celebrity deaths- is to use power as a tool to educate, use it as a tool to entertain or allow it to get the best of us. Thus we must recognized that many do not have the power to choose, but everyone has the power to be and in that simple term there is a lot of room for interpretation.
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