Do You Want To Be Famous?

Because I’ve been living here for almost five years now, I tend to forget what kind of place NYC is. It’s where fantasy keeps meeting reality. The longer you live here, the more “normal” your life is becoming. You go to work, come back home, go to the gym, meet up with your friends, read, watch Netflix or Hulu and occasionally go to a movie or a date. That’s it. Sounds like a life lived anywhere else, right? But there are these moments when you realize that it’s also the place where the magic happens.

That right next to you there are these fancy lives of rich people, movie stars, famous designers, athletes, people you see on TV or in the movies.  It’s funny, but you actually forget about that on a daily basis. For instance – Fashion Week took place in NY recently. You could see posters or social media posts about it, but it’s not like it was part of your life (at least it wasn’t for a vast majority of people). I was at work when suddenly we saw many fashionable people walking down the street, one of them told us that there is Tory Burch fashion show a block away (I went on Instagram and I saw a few posts and it was funny that I could see this building from our window and had no idea that there was something going on). Those people bought a latte at our place for $5, but also probably were buying clothes for a few thousand dollars apiece in the next building.

I see movies being shoot every week (my record is three different productions spotted in a single week). You meet people who don’t look so special and you find out that they either were on a TV show or are friends with someone who is very famous. Not to look too far – my friend is an assistant to a famous artist and I keep hearing stories about famous people’s lives. It’s not all so glamorous as you might think. The reality level of these people is really low. The amount of money they have is shocking and yet when you find out what their life looks like, what they struggle with and what choices they make, you might question your need to be a part of all that. I would like to have famous friends just because I know they have huge platforms and they can influence the masses – and I have my own mission to accomplish, so that would be very helpful. But if this is something you strive for and that’s why you came to this city – you might be very disappointed very quickly. If you think that this is what would bring you happiness, you’re wrong. And to get inside this world is not as difficult as you might think.

The question is – what you’re looking for over there? Fame? And what would you like to do with that? What do you need it for? For people to praise you? Please – get over yourself. Money? How much do you need and what are you willing to do to get it? Do you want to buy yourself some expensive clothes to feel better about yourself? The longer I live here, the more I realize that to have money is great, but using it wisely is even greater. Expensive clothes will not help you much. That’s why I’m so annoyed when people look up to some celebrities. Just because someone was in the movie doesn’t make them special. It’s just a role; there may not be another one. Look up to people who really did something more, who use their fame to have a good impact, who help others. Don’t praise someone just because they were on the TV show, had a few good songs or “are famous”.

 Famous is not a permanent state; it’s something that was given to you on one occasion and may just as well be taken away from you on another. I see famous people on the streets, in the coffee shop I go to, at the bars, they’re here everywhere. The only difference between me and them is the amount of money in the bank. Other than that – we all struggle with something. And I can bet that I’m happier than most of them. Don’t think that fame resolves all the problems. It resolves some, but it also brings new ones. That’s why when I hear “I want to be famous” I’m just smiling and want to ask: And then what? And if you don’t know how to the answer to this question, maybe think about that first, because it might turn out that you don’t have that much to offer. And if you don’t have that much to offer – what would you want to be famous for?

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