Parker
I have no desire to become famous, and the thought of accepting a significant award or staring in a movie seems absurd. Why? Attaining fame is not part of my personality. But, of course, more than enough people desire limelight, and ordinary people are happy to pay money to see famous actors.
However, there have been a few times where I experienced a slight amount of fame, and I wanted to explore one such moment. In college, we had a weekly paper that occasionally contained good content. One column was an opinion section written by an anonymous author. The year I started college, a guy who called himself Frodo dribbled out a weekly mess. In case you do not know, Frodo was the lead character from the book Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. Each week, Frodo endlessly complained about random topics. He had a poor writing style and never offered a solution.
In my second year of college, Frodo either graduated or stopped writing. A new anonymous writer called himself Parker took over this weekly column. His writing was timid (but well written), and most subjects focused on college life. Parker’s words got more traction than Frodo, but the stain of Frodo remained.
One day, my friend (I have since forgotten his name) asked if I had read the recent Parker. I answered no, and he asked why. We had a long discussion about anonymous authors, pen names, and school topics. Spoiler alert! It turns out my friend was Parker. Wow, big reveal!
Parker discussed my anonymous author opinions, pen names, and school topics in his next column. To my surprise, there were many reactions from the students. Suddenly, I became a (very) minor celebrity, and the (limited) fame surprised me. I could not believe that my thoughts were important to so many (a few) people.
What is it like to be significant enough to write about? I found the experience to be humbling. Wow, somebody I never met cares about my opinions. However, as the comments piled on, I began disliking the fame. It turns out that not everybody agreed with my views. Fame has a dark side? Who knew?
Are my blogs an attempt at fame? Yes, and no. My goal is to “get the word out about my books.” I do not desire to change the world, get famous or reap loads of cash. Breaking even would be nice. However, I would like it if my blogs encouraged discussion or educated a few readers. Yet, suddenly, having one of my blogs spike in popularity would probably make me want to hide under a large rock. I suppose Parker presented me with an exciting learning experience. “This is what fame is like.”
Should I thank Parker for introducing me to fame? “Thanks for caring about my opinion back in 1993.” And thank you, my four blog readers, for also caring!
You’re the best -Bill
March 23, 2022
However, there have been a few times where I experienced a slight amount of fame, and I wanted to explore one such moment. In college, we had a weekly paper that occasionally contained good content. One column was an opinion section written by an anonymous author. The year I started college, a guy who called himself Frodo dribbled out a weekly mess. In case you do not know, Frodo was the lead character from the book Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. Each week, Frodo endlessly complained about random topics. He had a poor writing style and never offered a solution.
In my second year of college, Frodo either graduated or stopped writing. A new anonymous writer called himself Parker took over this weekly column. His writing was timid (but well written), and most subjects focused on college life. Parker’s words got more traction than Frodo, but the stain of Frodo remained.
One day, my friend (I have since forgotten his name) asked if I had read the recent Parker. I answered no, and he asked why. We had a long discussion about anonymous authors, pen names, and school topics. Spoiler alert! It turns out my friend was Parker. Wow, big reveal!
Parker discussed my anonymous author opinions, pen names, and school topics in his next column. To my surprise, there were many reactions from the students. Suddenly, I became a (very) minor celebrity, and the (limited) fame surprised me. I could not believe that my thoughts were important to so many (a few) people.
What is it like to be significant enough to write about? I found the experience to be humbling. Wow, somebody I never met cares about my opinions. However, as the comments piled on, I began disliking the fame. It turns out that not everybody agreed with my views. Fame has a dark side? Who knew?
Are my blogs an attempt at fame? Yes, and no. My goal is to “get the word out about my books.” I do not desire to change the world, get famous or reap loads of cash. Breaking even would be nice. However, I would like it if my blogs encouraged discussion or educated a few readers. Yet, suddenly, having one of my blogs spike in popularity would probably make me want to hide under a large rock. I suppose Parker presented me with an exciting learning experience. “This is what fame is like.”
Should I thank Parker for introducing me to fame? “Thanks for caring about my opinion back in 1993.” And thank you, my four blog readers, for also caring!
You’re the best -Bill
March 23, 2022
