Nearly famous – the bowl half full
Lori Borgman | Monday, Nov 02, 2009
A friend dropped off a copy of the Ellsworth American, a weekly from Down
East Maine. The American still prints small town social news such as the
following: “This is the last weekend for dinner at Fisherman’s Inn. Bring your
friends for their Thai mussels and nearly famous lobster bisque.”
I found it
sad that the nearly famous bisque was unable to cross over to the famous. What
was holding it back? Seasoning? Bisque base? Too little lobster?
Was the lobster bisque on its way to fame, but one bad batch on an off day
several weeks ago sent it back to second-class status of only nearly famous?
It is a fine line marked by timing, chance, and a heavy hand on the pepper
mill that separates the famous from the nearly famous.
We spend a lot of time pursuing famous, but it usually has a short shelf
life. It is a short shelf life fed by our short attention spans and even shorter
memories.
Who has the name of Gerald Ford’s vice president on the tip of the tongue?
Who can name Miss America from three years ago? I remember the Miss America
contestant that fell on stage, but I couldn’t tell you her name.
And then
we come to the twist of being famous simply for being famous. Paris Hilton and
her friends are famous, but I can’t remember their names. I might have known
them at one time -- for three seconds. I could Google them, but what’s the
point?
We have confused famous with infamous. The first is noted for honorable
achievement, while the second has a reputation of the worst kind.
The parents of the balloon boy stretched their 15 minutes of fame to two days
with that large Jiffy Pop helium balloon, but in the end they should be
remembered as infamous.
The lure of You Tube has awakened the inner exhibitionist in us all --
exhibitionists that in most cases would be better off sleeping.
Applebee’s promised to make patrons into stars by incorporating homemade
videos of them celebrating at the restaurant into television commercials. The
result was commercials that were largely unintelligible with people screaming
and acting goofy. Louder, please, they can’t hear you in Mongolia.
We naturally assume that being famous is a worthwhile goal. People burn
themselves out chasing fame.
Being nearly famous reflects a quiet contentment. Nearly famous lobster
bisque sounds delightful. Who wants television trucks parked outside the inn and
paparazzi stalking the help?
If your work has earned the respect of those in your city or your community,
you have accomplished much. If you have the admiration of the people who know
you best, you sleep well at night.
We work hard pursuing fame when being nearly famous may be the most delicious
of all.
