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Thosewhogainfamemostoftengainitasaresultofexploitingtheirtalentforsinging,dancing,painting,orwriting,etc.
Theydevelopastylethatagentsmarketaggressivelytohastenpopularity,andtheirrideontheexpresselevatortothetopisablur<
Mostwouldbehard-pressedtotellyouhowtheyevengotthere.
Artistscannotremainidle<
though.
Whentheperformer,painterorwriterbecomesbored<
theirworkbeginstoshowalackofcontinuityinitsappealanditbecomesdifficulttosustaintheattentionofthepublic.
Aftertheirenthusiasmhasdissolved,thepublicsimplymovesontothenextflavorofthemonth.
Artistswhodoattempttoremaincurrentbymakingevenminutechangestotheirstyleofwriting,dancingorsinging,runasignificantriskoflosingtheaudience'
sfavor.
Thepublicsimplydiscountsstylesotherthanthoseforwhichtheartisthasbecomefamous.
Famousauthors'
styles—aTennesseeWilliamsplayoraplotbyErnestHemingwayorapoembyRobertFrostorT.S.Eliot—areeasilyrecognizable.
ThesameistrueofpainterslikeMonet,Renoir,orDaliandmoviemakerslikeHitchcock,Fellini,Spielberg,ChenKaigeorZhangYimou.
Theirdistinctstylesmarkedasignificantchangeinformfromothersandgainedthemfameandfortune.
However,theypaidforitbygivingupthefreedomtoexpressthemselveswithotherstylesorforms.
Fame'
sspotlightcanbehotterthanatropicaljungle<
—afraudisquicklyexposed,andthepressureofsomuchattentionistoomuchformosttoendure.
Ittakesyououtofyourself:
Youmustbewhatthepublicthinksyouare,notwhatyoureallyareorcouldbe.
Theperformer,likethepolitician,mustoftenpleasehisorheraudiencesbysayingthingsheorshedoesnotmeanorfullybelieve.
Onedropoffamewilllikelycontaminatetheentirewellofaman'
ssoul,andsoanartistwhoremainstruetohimselforherselfisparticularlyamazing.
Youwouldbehard-pressedtounderlinemanynamesofthosewhohavenotcompromisedandstillsucceededinthefamegame.
Anexample,thefamousIrishwriterOscarWilde,knownforhisuncompromisingbehavior,bothsocialandsexual,towhichthepublicobjected<
paidheavilyforremainingtruetohimself.
ThemotherofayoungmanOscarwasintimatewithaccusedhimatabanquetinfrontofhisfriendsandfansofsexuallyinfluencingherson.
Extremelyangeredbyherremarks,hesuedtheyoungman'
smother,assertingthatshehaddamagedhis"
good"
name.
Heshouldhavehiredabetterattorney<
ThejudgedidnotsecondWilde'
scalltohavethewomanpayfordamaginghisname,andinsteadfinedWilde.
Heendedupinjailafterrefusingtopay,andevenworse,waspermanentlyexpelledfromthewidercircleofpublicfavor.
Whenthingswereattheirworst,hefoundthatnoonewaswillingtoriskhisorhernameinhisdefense.
Hispriceforremainingtruetohimselfwastobeleftalonewhenheneededhisfansthemost.
Curiouslyenough,itisthosewhofailthatreapthegreatestreward:
freedom!
Theyenjoythefreedomtoexpressthemselvesinuniqueandoriginalwayswithoutfearoflosingthesupportoffans.
Failedartistsmayfindcomfortinknowingthatmanygreatartistsneverfoundfameuntilwellaftertheyhadpassedawayorinknowingthattheydidnotsellout.
Theymayjustifytheirfailurebyconvincingthemselvestheirgeniusistoosophisticatedforcontemporaryaudiences.
Single-mindedartistswhocontinuetheirquestforfameevenafterfailuremightalsoliketoknowthatfailurehasmotivatedsomefamouspeopletoworkevenhardertosucceed.
ThomasWolfe,theAmericannovelist<
hadhisfirstnovelLookHomeward,Angelrejectedtimesbeforeitwasfinallypublished.
Beethovenovercamehisfather,whodidnotbelievethathehadanypotentialasamusician,tobecomethegreatestmusicianintheworld.
AndPestalozzi,thefamousSwisseducatorinthethcentury,failedateveryjobheeverhaduntilhecameupontheideaofteachingchildrenanddevelopingthefundamentaltheoriestoproduceanewformofeducation.
ThomasEdisonwasthrownoutofschoolinthefourthgrade,becauseheseemedtohisteachertobequitedull.
Unfortunatelyformostpeople,however,failureistheendoftheirstruggle,notthebeginning.
Isaytothosewhodesperatelyseekfameandfortune:
goodluck.
Butalas<
youmayfindthatitwasnotwhatyouwanted.
Thedogwhocatcheshistaildiscoversthatitisonlyatail.
Thepersonwhoachievessuccessoftendiscoversthatitdoesmoreharmthangood.
Soinsteadoftryingsohardtoachievesuccess,trytobehappywithwhoyouareandwhatyoudo.
Trytodoworkthatyoucanbeproudof.
Maybeyouwon'
tbefamousinyourownlifetime,butyoumaycreatebetterart.
Unit_passage_english_b
Onesummerdaymyfathersentmetobuysomewireandfencingtoputaroundourbarntopenupthebull<
At,Ilikednothingbetterthangettingbehindthewheelofourtruckanddrivingintotownontheoldmillroad.
Waterfromthemill'
swheelsprayedinthesunshinemakingarainbowoverthecanalandIoftenstoppedthereonmywaytobatheandcooloffforaspell—naturalairconditioning<
Thesunwassohot,IdidnotneedatowelasIwasdrybythetimeIclimbedtheclaybanksandcrossedtheroadditchtothetruck.
Justbeforetown,theroadshotalongtheseawhereIwouldcollectseashellsorgatherseaweedbeneaththegiantcraneunloadingtheships.
Thistripwasdifferent,though.
MyfatherhadtoldmeI'
dhavetoaskforcreditatthestore.
Itwas,andtheuglyshadowofracismwasstillafactoflife.
I'
dseenmyfriendsaskforcreditandthenstand,headdown,whileastoreownerenquiredintowhethertheywere"
goodforit"
Manystoreclerkswatchedblackyouthswiththeassumptionthattheywerethieveseverytimetheyevenwentintoagrocery.
Myfamilywashonest.
Wepaidourdebts.
Butjustbeforeharvest,allthemoneyflowedout.
Therewerenonewdepositsatthebank.
Cashwasshort.
AtDavisBrothers'
GeneralStore,BuckDavisstoodbehindtheregister,talkingtoamiddle-agedfarmer.
Buckwasatall,weatheredmaninaredhuntingshirtandInoddedasIpassedhimonmywaytothehardwaresectiontogetacontainerofnails,acoilofbindingwireandfencing.
Ipulledmypurchasesuptothecounterandplacedthenailsinthetrayofthescale,sayingcarefully,"
Ineedtoputthisoncredit."
MybrowwasmoistwithnervoussweatandIwipeditawaywiththebackofmyarm.
Thefarmergavemeanamused<
cynicallook,butBuck'
sfacedidn'
tchange.
Sure,"
hesaideasily,reachingforhisbookletwherehekeptrecordsforcredit.
Igaveasighofrelief<
Yourdaddyisalwaysgoodforit."
Heturnedtothefarmer.
ThishereisoneofJamesWilliams'
sons.
Theybrokethemoldwhentheymadethatman."
Thefarmernoddedinaneighborlyway.
Iwasfilledwithpride.
JamesWilliams'
son."
Thosethreewordshadopenedadoortoanadult'
srespectandtrust.
AsIheavedtheheavyfreightintothebedofthetruck,Ididsowithease,feelinglikeastrongermanthantheonethatleftthefarmthatmorning.
Ihaddiscoveredthatagoodnamecouldfurnishacapitalofgoodwillofgreatvalue.
EveryoneknewwhattoexpectfromaWilliams:
adecentpersonwhokepthiswordandrespectedhimselftoomuchtodowrong.
Mygreatgrandfathermayhavebeensoldasaslaveatauction<
butthiswasnotanexcusetodowrongtoothers.
Insteadmyfatherbelievedtheonlywaytohonorhimwasthroughhardworkandrespectforallmen.
Wechildren—eightbrothersandtwosisters—couldenjoyourgoodname,unearned,unlessanduntilwedidsomethingtoloseit.
Wehadaninterestinhowoneanotherbehavedandourownactionsaswell,lestwedestroythenamemyfatherhadcreated.
Ourgoodnamewasandstillisthegluethatholdsourfamilytighttogether.
Thedesiretohonormyfather'
sgoodnamespurredmetobecomethefirstinourfamilytogotouniversity.
Iworkedmywaythroughcollegeasaporteratafour-starhotel.Eventually,thatgoodnameprovidedtheinitiativetostartmyownsuccessfulpublicrelationsfirminWashington,D.C.
Americaneedstorestoreasenseofshameinitsneighborhoods.
Doingdrugs,spendingallyourmoneyattheliquorstore,stealing,orgettingayoungwomanpregnantwithnointenttomarryhershouldinduceadeepsenseofembarrassment.
Butitdoesn'
t.
NearlyoneoutofthreebirthsinAmericaistoasinglemother.Manyofthesechildrenwillgrowupwithoutthesecurityandguidancetheyneedtobecomehonorablemembersofsociety.
Oncethesocialtiesandmutualobligationsofthefamilymeltaway,communitiesfallapart.
Whilethepopulationhasincreasedonlypercentsince,violentcrimeinAmericahasincreasedastaggeringpercent—andwe'
vebecomeexceedinglyusedtoit.Teendrugusehasalsorisen.
InoneNorthCarolinaCounty,policearrestedstudentsfromsecondaryschoolsfordealingdrugs,someofthemrightintheclassroom.
M