Monday 21 November 2011

Soul Kate Vol 11: A Precarious Crown

By Kate Henshaw
Kate Henshaw

The world is a stage and everyone is an actor. When the light comes on, that is your opportunity to play a character, become someone else for a time limit and prove your mettle as you convince the audience that you are the character you portray. At the end of your performance, you take a bow and are either booed or applauded for doing a shoddy or great job.

Reality is a whole different ball game. When you come off the stage, the euphoria and accolades stay with you for a while, and it is quite intoxicating. When you get to your dressing room to get out of the costume, you look in the mirror and say to yourself “I did that, I am the one they stood up for” and you are quite proud of your accomplishments. You pick up your belongings and leave for your home; back to your loved ones who know the real you and you do not put up a front for. They know that you do not have two pennies to rub together because you are yet to be paid for the performance you just put up or that your bank account is bulging, but you have so many projects and bills that need your attention, plus the need to relax which is good for your health.

Growing up, I remember telling my dad that I wanted to be a musician (laugh out loud). I was always singing in the shower and felt I had a great voice. He would have none of it and said to me that my choice was a definite no-no. He threatened to stop paying my school fees in the University if I proceeded with that dream. The case is different these days, things have changed tremendously. Nigerian Musicians are paid top dollar to mount the stage and perform, even to make an appearance at a private party. Nigerian music holds sway in the night clubs, weddings and other events. The film industry I belong to aka Nollywood has also come into its own in its twenty something years of existence, commanding respect and appreciation from people the world over. Our films have reached the length and breadth of the world. We are being compared to our Hollywood counterparts but there is really no need for comparison as we do not command the kind of resources they have and the life style they live. Their every whim and caprice is indulged and they start trends which the ‘common man’ so to speak, or their fans aspire to and adopt. They are taken at their word and so much is expected of them.

Let us come down to earth and think of the human element here. Celebrities or “stars” do not possess super human powers; they cannot not just lift off the earth and soar into the skies if they so desire. In Nigeria for example, we have tradition, culture, family and religion to think of. We are looked at as role models to the youth who watch us and aspire to be who we are and do what we do. A lot of young people these days are abandoning professions such as medicine, law, engineering to become actors, musicians and comedians mostly for the glitz, glamour… and of course, monetary gains but unaware of the unpalatable aspect of it. You are held under the microscope as a specimen and prodded constantly with lies, insinuations and judged. The strength to maintain your dignity and stand tall through it all is hard to imagine but you must find it and through all the mudslinging keep your cool. You love your work; you are great at it and want that to be the focus rather than your personal life. It is almost impossible as the Pull Him Down Syndrome (PHD) is a thirsty spirit that is insatiable. It rejoices at your mistakes, sneers at you and is boastful of its power over you. There is a saying that when you point a finger at someone, four more point back to you. This is true literally and of course what goes around comes around as sure as a fan oscillates, the breeze will get around.

Who knows what tomorrow holds but the Creator… Who can say tomorrow I will be here and I will do this and that except by His divine grace and mercy. Let he that standeth take heed lest he fall. When you are an actor, playing different roles, looking glamorous and feeling that the world is your oyster, getting adoration from your fans and admirers, touch as many lives as you can, be an agent of change, correct wrongs and uphold the right way, put your weight behind great causes. Hopefully the lives you touch or inspire might just be the ones you save. The most important people in your life are your family and maybe a few good friends and they accept you just the way you are, stand by you no questions asked.

Chin up, take the licking and keep on ticking. Today’s news will be in tomorrow’s rubbish bin. “If nobody talk about you, then you are nobody”
–Tuface Idibia.

Source: http://www.katehenshaw.com

Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.

No comments: