Fame

I really enjoy movies, so it comes as no suprise that I find myself sitting in my home this evening watching the 80th Academy Awards. It's also gotten me to thinking about the value people place on fame, wealth, and being important. The drive to be the best, be loved, well-known and wealthy must be a universal feeling. I know these feelings often pass over me. I have yet to meet someone who wants to be anonymous, living an average life, in an average home, with an average job who is just waiting to die. But when, if ever, does a person sit back and say, "My life isn't so bad. I love my family, enjoy my work and have made the world a better place because I've lived here" ? Is there a magic age? Is it on one's deathbed? And is it necessarily bad to seek to maximize our potential?

I guess it all stems from the desire to be unique. Although, it seems to me that sometimes a lot of the world's problems come from people seeking to be the same and an intolerance towards those who don't follow. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a professional football player, with big paychecks, highlight reels and kids lining up for my autograph. Later, in college, I thought it would be glamorous to be a politician. I wish I could be content with a desire to only be important to the people who matter most, my son and wife.