From boyhood to college, my walls were covered with posters. There were sports icons, musicians and writers.
Being a journalist, I get to meet and chat with these people. Thinking back, I would have killed to have this kind of access as a kid.
Is having a celebrity’s cell phone number the earth-shattering event that a young me would have pictured it to be?
Yes and no. It depends on whether or not you appreciate subtlety.
During my interviews, I’ve collected some great stories, like singer Richie Havens’s mystical account of meeting the Dalai Lama. I’ve also gotten some great free advice, like harmonica tips from bluesman Charlie Musselwhite.
But, in general, a lot of these conversations were strikingly non-eventful.
Robert Cray doesn’t sound like the smoking gun guitar player that he is while talking about his wife’s cooking. And why should he?
Art is the result of a moment when inspiration culminates into something beautiful and remarkable, but it is only the tip of an iceberg. Everything leading up to that moment--just like the base of an iceberg--is under the surface.
But just because we don’t see little John Lennon sitting in a booster seat at the barber shop getting his first bowl haircut or Harry Connick Jr. in line at the DMV doesn’t mean these events are less important.
Art may be the taste of Emeril’s turtle soup on the tongue, but without the unremarkable moments, like Emeril squeezing tomatoes at the market, the art wouldn’t be possible.
All of our lives are built on moments like these.
I don’t think the tabloid approach of taking the stars down a peg is the solution. A better approach would be to build everyone else up.
We should tack up photos of parents and grandparents amongst the rock stars on our walls. Next to the framed shot of the Leaning Tower of Piza, we should hang shots of our hometowns.
The first attempt my wife and I made to create a level playing field for our 11-month-old son was recording a CD of us singing his favorite songs. We hope this encourages him to be part of the magic, to try anything that sounds good to him.
What makes my relatively newfound appreciation for subtlety earth-shattering is the realization that we are all just putting one foot in front of the other. By doing that, we can go anywhere.
For more of The Joy of Life, visit genemyers.com.
