Fame and Honoring the Death of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson

After watching so much about the death of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, I started thinking about some things. One is that it’s so interesting to me how many people today want to be famous. Not because they cure cancer or really make a difference, but just to be seen. Look at all those reality shows and huge talent contests. We all have the urge and human need to be seen on some level. It seems that it has become a distorted pursuit.

Two, I’m not sure we really know what it might be like to be a superstar and all of the difficulties that come with it. Many of the people that are celebrities, started pursuing a careers at very young ages, too young to know what they were getting themselves into. For some people it is actually a calling to give us art, meaning and pleasure. As much as we could and sometimes should, talk about all of the things they do wrong, it is also good to honor their gifts and talents. This blog is to remind us all to honor the gifts and talents of ourselves and the celebrities as well as holding the truth of all of life’s complexities.

Three, there are certain pros and cons to choosing a life in the public. Celebrities, politicians, and people who are in the public eye are under a microscope. We all have opinions and can look at the lives of these public folks and say blah blah blah about it – whatever we would say, but let’s take a step back for a moment. We are all people taking this human journey. Believe it or not, whatever we do with our lives, most of us are doing the very best we can at any given moment. Ok, I’ll give you that if we choose to be public we must take on that banner. If we are willing to take the good part of being famous we must accept the bad.

Celebrities are people and we, of course, from a distance may have loved them - or maybe not - but they are human. It’s important to hold all the aspects of our humanity and develop compassion towards ourselves and others.

Let’s remember that old saying that when you point a finger at someone there’s three pointing back at you.

I would like to extend my blessings to the family of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. I would also like to give my blessings to all of us, living or dead, either public or private.