Sometimes it happens that people, particularly celebrities turn out to be well – not as cool as we had wished them to be. Case in point, new allegations about a long-time favorite comedy man have resurfaced again. Hopefully these stories will turn out to be false, as many of us hope they are, because we don’t want the experience of a let down, someone you admire, turning out to be someone entirely different than you imagined.
Recently my Music Guy thought he had an opportunity to attend a book signing by Joe Perry. Yes, Joe Perry as in Aerosmith, whom he worked for as a roadie back in the eighties when Joe Perry was out of Aerosmith and into the Joe Perry Project. My Music Guy had some great memories of Joe as a kind and courteous rock star. A “stand up” guy. Mr. Perry was listed on his website announcing he would be at Guitar Center. When My Music Guy checked, “Nope, he was here two weeks ago,” they said….but they were closing the store early that night for a “VIP” event. No worries, he was on the calendar to appear at Book Passage. (I like the name of that store… sounds like an island of books somewhere.) So he called the store and was told: “Oh he was here a month ago.” (Really…are you closing for a VIP event too?)
Needless to say, My Music Guy was disappointed…so close to someone so admired, yet unable to make that connection. So he missed out on Joe Perry signing his book My Life in and out of Aerosmith where he got to play a small part in Mr. Perry’s life out of Aerosmith.
I suppose in wondering about others, we take on the opportunity to examine ourselves. Who are we anyway? Are we the person that we sought to become? Can we ever be? Where have we fallen short? Why do we beat ourselves up? In a world of illusion, and we all have illusions, what if you met your idol and they were….less than?
“I hope he would have been a good guy,” said the Music Man. I looked at him and said: “The guy who smiled when you asked about Sweet Emotion being played in the Key of A? Oh yes, I believe, he would still be a very good guy.” And I do believe that. Rock on Mr. Perry!
Nice post! We are images/illusions of what we want others to perceive us and eventually, we grow out of it or we get tired of it. Some of us never change, we keep that illusion, forever.
Thanks! Yes I believe we all are, chameleons of sorts, especially those in the public eye.
I firmly believe that the person I am most often someone else for, is myself, as I consciously, or subconsciously, try out new, or slightly adjusted personas all day long depending on just what environment I find myself heading into. I don’t know, maybe that’s strange, or maybe, at some level, we all do it.