When writing a column, way too often, I start on a topic and as I put the idea in words, I find myself waylaid by another theme. Then I realize I want to do a column on the new concept.
So the other day I was talking about the column I was writing and the person I was in conversation said, “You are becoming a bit of a celebrity.”
“Huh?”
Truthfully, I get why, in context, the statement was made, but it started that train of thought that produces columns. So goodbye column on what I was writing and hello column on celebrity.
What is celebrity exactly?
An online dictionary defines celebrity as a famous person or a state of being well known.
Being related to Neil Armstrong sometimes impressed people a little when I was growing up, but I really didn’t take it seriously, because, as I would say, “I’m not the guy who walked on the moon.”
Growing up in D.C., I had my exposure to people who were considered celebrities. I even worked for some.
At one job I had, JFK Jr. worked before me and there was definitely prestige attached to that position.
Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I don’t remember having much celebrity status in D.C. no matter who I worked for. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciated working for people that were shaping politics, but nobody ever stopped me for my autograph.
Crazy thing, while thinking about what is celebrity for this column, I realized I have actually had major bouts of what is probably considered fame by a lot of folks.
Not the type that gets you into tabloids, but my years in Asia had me on TV and in magazines and newspapers.
My strongest renown came from understanding bartending, believe it or not.
It started in Taichung, Taiwan when I would go into venues for food or drink. Owners would ask me to make drinks they could put on menus when they realized I was the guy who had helped a Chinese friend open the first Western bar in the city. I have to qualify, this was a time when there just weren’t many bartenders coming to Taiwan and China.
It is very different now.
Jim Beam made me their brand ambassador in Taiwan.
That was huge.
I was the first Westerner to do this. I found myself judging bartending contests, being flown to China to go on radio and being in a lot of print articles.
My own restaurant in Taichung, that came a little later, was famous enough where people knew of it in Hong Kong.
There were quite a few companies asking me to be their spokesperson.
Ocean Spray had me host a television program when their president came to visit the island from the USA.
Smirnoff and Baileys had me at their trade shows, which got me media notice.
My fame, for lack of a better word, got to the point I couldn’t go on a date at any Western style restaurant in Taichung, a city of 3 million, without people coming up to talk to me. The mayor, who had been the previous foreign minister, had me host a party for him.
Sounds fun to have all the attention ... until you can’t eat dinner in peace.
Shanghai was different in a way, but not much. I got over there before the onslaught of Westerners came. There were over 300,000 Americans living in that city when I left three years ago and over 2 million foreigners. The city is around 25 million, so 300,000 is not really a huge population in comparison. When I got there the first time, the number of Americans was more like 10,000. The rise happened in less than 12 years.
In both China and Taiwan, I hung out with some minor celebs—baseball players, famous local musicians and models, so it just intensified me getting attention. I won’t deny it was good for my job, but I felt like I was on call 24/7.
I literally would have to leave the country to have time to myself. Coming back to Wyoming was therapeutic because nobody cared one iota about what I was doing overseas.
Then there was the whole having a book(s) published while overseas.
My textbook on bartending got attention from industry people which is exactly what I wanted, but “Friday Boys,” a fiction tale about a couple of Western guys working for a Chinese woman as escorts in a club only for women, got me more notice than I anticipated.
“Is this about you? Are you XXX or XXX? Did you ever do what XXX did?”
I got so tired of these questions when it came out in Asia (in English I might add), I didn’t make an effort to sell it in the States when I came back.
Don’t get me wrong, the characters were awesome and people associating me with their personalities was not a bad thing, but I found people wanting to delve into my personal life and I didn’t really enjoy the intrusiveness.
Lesson learned from that little piece of work; controversial subject matter gets attention.
That is what I find fame and celebrity to be.
Attention.
Truthfully, I didn’t enjoy it much overseas. I might even say it left a bad taste.
The attention I received from writing those books doesn’t even compare to the profile I acquired working with the liquor world in Asia.
I remember I would be the only Westerner at functions that would have hundreds of attendees where some liquor company was introducing a new spirit to the country. I was photographed every time, usually me meeting the master distiller—who was always Western too.
Fame for being a liquor specialist in Asia gave me enough limelight to satiate any need I ever felt for wanting to be well known on a large scale.
It had its moments of reward, but anyone that has been in the spotlight for periods of time knows it gets old quickly—at least in my opinion.
One of the best things about living in Beijing and Shenzen versus Shanghai; I went about freely—almost never getting recognized.
When I went back to Shanghai after living in the other two cities, I knew Shanghai wasn’t the place for me any longer, mostly because I wanted a life without all the intrusion that came with my work. The job I had really required me to be out in the public all the time.
This is coming from a guy who loves the bartending world and revels in meeting new people—so when it stopped being fun, I knew it was time for me to leave.
I bolted back to the USA and Wyoming and never looked back.
Well ... I do miss the food
So when my friend said I was getting a little famous, a shiver went down my spine.
Then I stopped myself from overreacting to the words.
I realized how different celebrity is in Carbon County versus overseas. Often residents of Carbon County acknowledge a person for doing good things, but there are many folks doing noble activities, so it doesn’t draw notice for long.
I have witnessed countless people doing things day-to-day to make life better for those living in Carbon County and Wyoming. They expect no plaudits for their work.
Humility is so strong in the character of most Carbon County residents, I seldom see people trying to get fame as I report stories. As often as not, many who do good, don’t even want recognition.
It makes me proud, I was smart enough to make Carbon County my home over all the places I have lived.
If I do receive a touch of attention for whatever reason, I know my life won’t be intruded on because that isn’t the Carbon County way.
Celebrity, in this neck of the woods, doesn’t mean people will be invasive. It means you are appreciated.
How awesome is that?
I think in some way, I realized this about the people about 20 years ago, when I first came to Saratoga and loved it. Now after spending the past couple years making my life exclusively in Wyoming, it makes perfect sense why the place feels nourishing to me.
I have found most people in Carbon County don’t do things to be famous, rather they do it because it is beneficial.
In truth, I find in many people I report on the type of celebrity I aspire to be.
Reader Comments(0)