Life's Persistent Questions

Be the best you can be

This is not a U.S. Army ad. This is about reaching the pennicle of one's life. I got to thinking last night after watching "Dicky Roberts: a former child star." It is a paroday about the life of Roberts when he tries to make a comeback in the show biz at thirtysomething. In the end of the movie, there was a song performed by some forty actual, former child TV/Movie stars. The song is meant to be funny, yet one could not help but feel that there is some bitterness and regret in their voices--that no matter how hard they try they had rarely been able to redefine their careers and lives as something other than child stars.

Is that sad? I wonder how many struggling actors out there would do almost anything to be as famous as anyone of these child stars? Not all of course, but surely many, the many that a successful career in acting equals celebrity. And is it sad to be so "successful" so young, with the rest of ones life to live up/down to it?

People reach the pennicles of their careers at different ages. Child actors at their teens. Professional athletes their twentieth. Doctors in their thirtieth and fortieth. Nobel prize winner get their medal usual sixtieth. Some artists only became acclaimed after their passing. On an everyday scale, this happens to all of us. When was the last time that you knew that you were the best among your peers? Math in the fifth grade? Little league baseball at age 11? Ballet in high school? And the whole world seems to be there for your taking. But soon or later, each of us come to the realization that there is someone out there that is smarter, or stronger, or more graceful, or just plain better. The question is, what do I do? Remain fixated on the glory of past? Or try to run away from it? Or...

Simply be the best I can be.

posted by hedgehog @ 10:00 AM