They’re filming a movie, The Company Men, on the floor above me. My office building is relatively small – only 5 stories – so this is pretty exciting. The movie stars Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, and Tommy Lee Jones.
.jpg)
On Monday at 8:30 AM there was the first sighting of Ben Affleck. He was walking down the ramp to enter the building through the basement. Andy got a quick shot with his camera phone. I wasn’t there yet, though, so I missed all that.
I did see him coming into the building on Tuesday. It was a little weird seeing Ben Affleck where I work every day. Walking down the hall by the cafeteria. Taking the elevator that I never use because I prefer the stairs. Stuff like that.
The whole celebrity craze going around the office makes me think of a story I once heard. A small boy was going around collecting autographs of famous people. One of those people said “Son, instead of spending your time getting the autographs of other people, you should spend it making your autograph worth getting.”
Will my autograph be worth getting someday? I hope so. I hope to make an impact on the world. How will I do it? Run a company? Start a company? Write a book? Teach? Run for public office? At this point I’m not too worried about the mechanics. They would all be fine for me.
The one thing that surprised me the most when I got to college and that surprises me most now is that there are so many ways to live your life. I make all my decisions based on what will give me the most future opportunities and happiness. Sometimes we get into a silo where we can only envision our way of life. It would be beneficial for all of us to step out of that silo for a few moments and see what else is out there.
Yogi Bera said “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
Former Vice President Dick Cheney spoke to the graduating class of Brigham Young University in 2007. The main theme of his address what that life will not turn out how we expect. We cannot plan out our futures from where we are today. The key to success is being willing to accept change and take advantage of opportunities as they come along.
.jpg){kind=link}
3 comments:
Why the idea of "celebrityhood" is such an attractive one is interesting to me. Why is it that when we see a guy like Ben Affleck in person, we become (to varying degrees) star-struck? I exchanged niceties once with Andy Dick in one of those magazine/book stores in LAX, and I have to admit, I was a little star-struck (and it was just Andy Dick...). But why? I don't care about Andy Dick. I mean, celebreties are just normal people right?. What makes Ben Affleck any more special or interest-worthy than any of the other normal people we walk past on any given day? Nothing does. And yet, I would have taken pictures of him with my cell-phone camera too, and then sent them to all my friends.
And then there's our desire to BE celebrities to one extent or another. It's just human nature to want to be known or recognized. But why? I think our culture's fascination/obsession with celebrities is down right annoying. But, if I'm really honest with myself, would I like to be a celebrity? Would I like to be known for something or "leave my mark"? Yep, I sure would. But I can't help but think that this desire is somehow a weakness in my character... maybe an expression of infamous pride :) But, I'm not sure... I still haven't quite solved it yet.
That's pretty sweet, by the way, that they're making a movie on the floor above you!
I wish something that exciting would happen at my work. You should see if you can get a part as an extra in the movie-- then you can watch yourself on the big screen!
Post a Comment