with Kim Jackson

 


Lights, Camera, Action!

 

Oh my goodness! It’s you! It’s really you! I said to

myself…self, you can walk and chew gum, but this guy? THIS

guy? He can walk backwards, chew gum, rub his stomach, AND

pat his head WITH his eyes closed. You’re the best! Can I

have your autograph?! Please? Oh, yeah, can you sign one for

my mom? She’s not gonna believe it!!

 

Now, imagine this happening to you every single day every

time you stepped outside of your home. Where is your escape?

All you did was show the world a talent. A talent that’s as

easy as breathing for you, but only a small margin out of

billions of people can mimic or do better. After years of

obscurity, all of a sudden you’re in the spot light. You’re

being compared to the ‘greats’. You’re making millions of

dollars. You’re getting approached for deals…Nike wants you

to walk backwards in their shoes only. Maybe, just maybe,

you don’t have a talent. Maybe, you’re just the luckiest son

of a gun in your state and you hit a colossal jackpot. In

any case…you went from having a dream to living your dream.

But can you handle it?

 

What do you do when you’ve gone from can’t pay attention to

buying every toy that you can think of? A Bentley, mansion,

swimming pool, butler, chef, maid…you want it, you can call,

and get it. After you’ve taken every trip you’ve ever wanted

to take; what you do you do when the millionaire’s boredom

sets in? You can be like Jack Whittaker, who hit the biggest

Powerball jackpot ($314.9 million) in history, and have over

half a million stolen from your SUV while you’re in a strip

club having a drink. Or you can be like any professional

athlete that was born and bred in ‘da hood’ and made it to

the ‘Bigs’; only to let the world of ‘celebrity’ get to

them.

 

• Hall of Famer, Lawrence Taylor: First blows millions of

dollars (his words) in the 80’s and 90’s to the perils of

cocaine abuse and is now facing charges of sexual assault.

• Michael Vick: Who went from referring to himself in the

third person because he was (self) awesome to a prison

inmate for fighting dogs and was recently a person of

interest when one of the ‘finger pointers’ was shot at his

30th birthday party.

• Jamarcus Russell: Who went from 2007’s number one draft pick

to facing a felony charge due to possession of a controlled

substance…sipping on some damn sizzurp.

 


Okay…maybe you’re not a fan of sports and you live in the

entertainment world. At any rate…you still got those

entertainers that ‘Make It’ and spend so much money on

playthings that they forget that they have to pay taxes on

their toys.


 

• Redd Foxx

• Ron Isley

• Wesley Snipes

• And there’s even a rumor floating around that Chamillionaire

is facing foreclosure.
 


So, my question is simple. Why chase the fame if you can’t

handle the outcome? Yes, you will be chased for pictures,

autographs, and an article of clothing. But in the end, the

only things that you will be most remembered for are the

deeds that did you in. You could end up being kicked out of

a country and have people claim that your tears were fake


 

However, we live in a world where people will make the

assumption that those people have it made and that my

examples are just a few that couldn’t handle fame. But, just

ride with me a little on this thought…how many people do you

know, that if they suddenly came into millions, would lose

it within 5 to 10 years? I don’t even have to wait for the

answer. I already know.

 

As for myself? Just call me an Olson, because I’ll be

investing (wisely) and hiding out. I might even have to

change my name…hmm.

 

Thank you for reading my article – Kimberly Simmons.