Celetrityism vs. Society

Jonah went down early, so I was able to enjoy a bit of television. Discovery was showing a special on the crash of Cactus Air 1549. You probably remember it as the plane that went in the Hudson River.

The special was fantastically produced. The crash was viewed from many different angles, and we really received a sense of why the pilot was so special. Could someone else have performed the same tasks with the same accuracy? Maybe, but he was there at the time, and he had the results.

The special emphasizes a point that has grown significantly in me over the past year or so. I am becoming very anticelebrity. I find myself turning away from movie stars, professional players, and other limelight hoarders. In the end, they mean nothing more than temporary entertainment to me.

Think of your favorite television star. What do they contribute to society? What have they done to improve the world? Now, try to separate their actions from their image. What of the things they have done, the money they have donated, was not done to improve their own image? Be honest with yourself, and look beyond the interview. What do actions say, especially when compared with words? Is this person truly someone you want as a role model? Are they a positive or negative influence on your and other people’s lives? Are they someone that should be placed on a pedestal for society to emulate? If not, why do you care about them beyond the brief time that you see them performing their job?

Hero

You find the little heroes in your life every day. Occasionally, if you are lucky, you will run into a truly outstanding hero. These people exhibit the pure fire of love, compassion, or selflessness either incidentally or continuously. They are what you want to be, even if you are at their level already. Are you a hero? Remember, you needn’t be perfect, just a positive force.

Positivity is not, in this case, defined as the happiest person in the world. Positivity is a characteristic of creating beneficial change in the world. You create the moments in your own or others lives that generate improvement. Like the so-called “butterfly affect” you create a better world by coincidental or (if you are lucky) direct improvement. You donate your time, talent, and treasure to a cause, a person, a thing resulting in betterment.

Celebrity does not equate to heroism. Limelights follow dastardly characters as well as pure. As you wander through this life, try to find the heroes that matter. Find the people that make your or other people’s lives better. Honor them, not the guy whose only talent is catching a football or the woman who makes an enjoyable movie. Honestly, do you want to model your life after a college dropout that can swing a stick at a ball?

I’m going to close this one out with a lyric from Rush. Yes, I think that they are talented artists, but in this case their words mean more than the music they play. Think on these words, and ponder your own definition of hero:

Hero…
Saves a drowning child,
Cures a wasting disease.
Hero…
Lands the crippled airplane,
Solves great mysteries.
Hero…
Is the voice of reason against the howling mob.
Hero…
Is the pride of purpose in the unrewarding job.
Hero…
Not the handsome actor that plays a hero’s role,
Hero…
Not the glamour girl, who’d love to sell her soul,
Hero…
Not the champion player who plays the perfect game.
Hero….
Not the glamour boy who’d love to sell his name.
If anyone is buying, nobody’s hero.

(Note: Some license taking with the organization of the above lyrics with intention.)