LOOKING PAST THE SPOTLIGHT
Spotlights are among the busiest items in our world. Why? Because they're always looking for someone new and exciting to target; and for the rest of us to gawk at. But then there's a question to be answered: What about all those not in life's spotlights? They are obviously in the majority, so why don't we pay them at least equal attention?
I'm not sure if it's being counter-culture or simply contrary, but my eyes always drift toward those at the margins of the action. When the soloist is glowing in the concert hall spotlight, I can't help studying all those musicians back in the shadows working hard to make the star sound good...or in the theatre, all those crew members and volunteer ushers who remain in the shadows, but make what's happening happen...or the nameless but indispensable guys around the baseball dugouts...or the uncelebrated but imperative custodians in schools and on campuses...and especially those remarkable Secret Service agents behind their dark glasses protecting our President 24/7.
Am I missing something by watching the folks in the background rather than the ones in the foreground...? I don't think so. Because they're the untold back-stories that truly flesh out the stories...
THE LOST PENNY
For the serious students of history, they may want to step beyond their libraries and websites to understand todays from yesterdays. What I have I mind is a simple object lesson no further away then your local checkout counter.
Most of these have little Penny Trays. Somewhere customers can leave their left-over pennies for the next customer. But now here's the lesson! Watch to see who usually do this. That's right, the younger cooler customers who have little time for trivia like pennies. On the other hand, the older the customer, the more likely they will not toss those pennies away.
Habits from another time when pennies really did count. As a matter of fact, more of every little thing counted before our easy-money-Wall-Street ethos replaced our once-upon-a-time work ethic. Not a big thing, maybe, but a convenient lesson in generational history.
Oh wait...! There is one thing that seems not to have changed. The concept of what makes a star on Oscar Night. Watch him. George Clooney would be a star no matter what generation he happened into...proving that maybe after all some things never change.
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I think it's cool that you pay attention to the
ReplyDelete"uncelebrated but imperative". So few get to be the "star". It's nice to know people like you are out there appreciating the common person. I wish our society did that more!
Nicole I think there are more of us than they let on. Because lets face it -- most of us are "uncelebrated" and we know it
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