The glory of being seen is that you feel important in the moment you are aware that others are aware of you. It brings your awareness of yourself into their presence. Suddenly, and without provocation, their idea of the universe, with their two eyes, is encompassed within the matter that is formed up of you. You belong in the forefront of their minds.
Their judgements, their critiques, their criticism, it's all directed at, and drawn to you. And maybe that's alright, because for a brief moment, you're still the center of their attention. So don't lose it. Don't seek to wiggle away into the darkness, hiding like a lizard, afraid of the boot.
Imagine that instead of critique or judgement it's the opposite. It's admiration and love. It's the forces of life and beauty and hope all rolled into one. Why would that happen? Why would that be? What could have caused them to have such a reaction.
Probably behavior.
Maybe it's in the middle of a very busy street and you just so happened to see the guy punch her and take her purse and you just got done watching Bruce Lee and tripped the guy and snatched the purse back after he took a nose-dive at full sprint. Now she's running up and the guy is on the ground bleeding and people are surrounding him. He can't leave and things are pointing to this not being his best day. You're a hero.
Or maybe this is the final night of your performance. You've trained hard and now it's the time you shine. The lights are on and the stage is set and there you are and everyone is rapt in attention hanging onto your performance. You're a star.
For a brief segment of their lives, they are sharing the glory that you've brought to the world. It's nice. But it doesn't last. After a few moments, it will fade. It might last through the night... It might even last a week, but it will go away eventually.
Maybe you're riding high from 15 minutes of fame... That TV show ran for a season and then you were killed off... Your interview at the incident was outstanding and a YouTuber turned it into an autotuned song... Whatever it is, the allure you once had in the public eye will diminish and then you "used to be somebody back in the day" and now everything seems like it's boring and bland and there's no life in anything anymore.
But isn't the old reality before the fame the actual reality? Sure it felt good to "rise above" and "rise up" but now that it's all over... what's left?
Everything that was already there should be left. Everything that made you the "you" you were is and was already there anyway. Now it remains and you have a great story to tell your grandkids.
I've met people who were on The Price is Right. I worked with a guy who was on the Ricki Lake show. I've known this person or that person who had their quick moment on American TV, but now it's over. They can choose to live in the past or they can take what they have now and use it as fuel for their future.
Did they need to be seen? Not really. None of us need mass media to glorify us. But if it ever happens to you, it can be neat. I've had my 15 a couple of times here and there, and it's nice. But it's rarely ever needed. It's seen as desirous for sure, but none of the people who are super famous ever really prefer it. It's a transition, and after living for five to ten years in seclusion, they make the choice to either get with a new program or live out their glory days in the old life.
It's like watching Corey Feldman or Danny Bonaduce in slow motion destroy any type of career they might have had after being a child actor. Just the opposite for Warwick Davis.
What happened? Danny and Corey became egomaniacs and Warwick stayed humble. And here's the crux of the entire thing... Danny and Corey NEEDED the camera to be trained on them... Warwick never did.
Why didn't Warwick need to be seen?
Well it helped a little that his first role (Wicket the Ewok) was in a mask, so the glory never went to his head. But even after his biggest role in Willow, where he was the protagonist, he never let it go to his head.
And I guess that's the thing huh? Warwick just stayed quiet and let his art work... His money work... His talent work.
He never needed to be seen.
