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REAL PEOPLE – REAL SUPERSTARS

Al Jones

I find myself concerned these days with the ideology and aspirations of our youth. Ask a group of ten teenagers what they want to do when they finish school, and you’ll get “Rap star, pop star, actress, athlete, rock star or actor.” Very few aspire to be doctors, lawyers, accountants or plumbers. Approximately sixty percent of our youth have stars in their eyes. As talented as they may all be… we older folks know that it is impossible for them all to achieve success. As shown on various reality shows now, only a handful out of hundreds of thousands even get an honest opportunity to audition. And out of those, only a small percentage makes it beyond those auditions.

It’s not their fault. We’ve all raised them to think that they can be whoever and whatever they want to be. And we have the best of intentions when we tell them that. What we fail to tell them, is that most entertainment success stories include elements of pure luck and in many instances, knowing the right people already in the entertainment industry. We then inundate them with role models in those industries. Some parents even try to live vicariously through their children as they have themselves convinced that their child is the next rock star, Hollywood star or NHL scoring leader. We don’t give them any everyday role models, such as an electrician, architect or teacher that is really good at what they do.

We need to start pointing out positive role models that actually contribute to our community and fulfill roles that, although are less glamorous, are necessary. Start pointing out to our children that hard-working mechanic that also volunteers for a local charity. Tell our children about that local cabinetmaker that builds kitchens that even the rich and famous would swoon over. We need to teach our children to admire the brickwork on a building and appreciate the landscaping of a park. None of these people have recognizable names, nor are they subject to the paparazzi while walking a red carpet, but they are real people that stand on their own talents and capabilities. None of them receive their success via Hollywood marketing.

We’ve all heard that “all of the world is a stage.”  What we fail to recognize, is that each one of us plays an important role on that stage. And in most instances, each of us experiences a point in our lives when we find ourselves in a leading role. Just as an actor on a stage, or a singer on our stereo, has the ability to instill emotion in you, or cause you to think about a particular issue, you too, have that capability. We choose the role we want to play. We can excel in that role. If we fulfill that role to the best of our talents and capabilities, we, too, will command respect and admiration. It may not be on as large a scale as winning a Grammy or an Oscar award, but it will be much more meaningful. The smaller accolades you receive will be sincere… not the glitz and glamour of a record label or Hollywood marketing firm.

There’s one more thing we should be teaching our children: we can choose our own character. We can decide if we want to be a hero or a villain. We can choose how we treat our public. We can even choose our own soundtrack… upbeat and happy, or dark and depressing. Not only do we have the capability to choose our own roles… but we can also act as a director to that role and all that it collaborates with.

Despite all that we achieve in this life, we will all have to face a final curtain. I don’t know about everyone else… but when my final screen fades to black…I want a happy ending.