Regional
(2010-01-04)
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AURORA, CO
(KUNC) -
Fame may be a resolution that many will aspire for in the New Year - but it's something that few will actually achieve. KUNC commentator Pius Kamau says all of us can have notoriety if we simply strive to be better than who we are.
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Some Americans seem to believe that fame can be bought, parceled, and even transported by the ounce or pound. Many want it so badly they will do anything for it. My attitude is more measured. I believe that fame is best when it is earned; because it comes with a heavy responsibility.
The recent sentencing of the Balloon boy's parents hopefully brings this story to a close. But it serves as a vivid reminder of just how far people are willing to go for their 15 minutes of fame in this Reality TV land that we live in. No great harm was done in this case, still the compulsion to seek fame at whatever cost has reached epidemic levels in America.
One of the worst examples is the Columbine High School shootings. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold believed their fame would be assured and endure long after their mass murders and suicide. Their madness and the knowledge of our insatiable thirst for titillation propelled them towards their murderous rampage.
This and the Balloon Boy incident represent two extremes of this bizarre American behavior. It's given birth to by the freedom we have to do whatever we want. Goaded on by an avaricious and ever present media that wait to pounce on anything out of the ordinary. The twenty four hour trumpeting of Tiger Woods' sexual transgressions and the Christmas Day arrest of actor Charlie Sheen point to this continuous search for that which titillates our senses.
The tabloid fame that is a common currency of our daily discourse is no more than an extension of four of the 7 Deadly Sins. Specifically I'm thinking of: greed, pride, lust, and envy. On the other hand, fame earned can be more than a sacrament. The men and women whose courage and selflessness point them towards fame's gates are our heroes.
They possess what's best about humans and have what we'd all want to emulate. Men like ex Senator Max Cleland, a triple amputee and a Vietnam vet comes to mind for me. Swift boated in 2002, he was characterized as a non patriot who didn't support the Iraq war effort by his GOP opponents. His fame was won by blood, sweat and tears and sacrifice to a greater good than self.
It is the sort of fame I wish I had, the ability to summon more eyes and ears to the clarion call of a greater purpose. The Mandela's, Tutus and Mother Teresa's of the world call upon us to be more than we are. To rise above the ground we walk on, to do more with what we have. I suppose that if I had any degree of fame I would wish for universal education. I also would encourage Americans to seek more reality in their lives. To seek what is extraordinary in themselves and their neighbors. On the other hand even without fame, all of us can inspire and challenge one another to be greater than who we are.
So, in this New Year, find the time to be more magnanimous, more giving, and more patient with yourself. You'll be surprised at how little it takes to shine in the eyes of others.
© Copyright 2012, KUNC
