Brilliant saying. I stole it from my brother decades ago in a paper he wrote in high school
So, let’s examine.
Barry Kluger is who I am. MTV, USA, Prodigy, Kluger Media Group, journalist, advocate for grieving parents, radio talk show host etc., is what I do..or did..
That’s not to say that my jobs did not define me in some way. I am proud of my accomplishments. I tell people: in the environment, I worked in and had I sucked, I would have been sacked.
But it did feed my ego. Only a few years after going off on my own, did I realize that my past gigs took me just so far? Hope reminds me of when we moved to Scottsdale in 1999, my usual greeting was: “HI. I’m Barry Kluger. I used to work for MTV!”
Yup. True dat.
I sort of searched for a link to remind people I once had talent. I did not realize that I ALWAYS had talent. I just lost the chance to show it.
I have many friends who have achieved greatness and subscribed to this newsletter. There are others I wish would because, frankly, I don’t need, nor want, affirmation. I want them to see that beyond the gig, there is a soul.
We need to think about what greatness is. Money? Yeah..a threshold to some. Notoriety? Sure, headlines and Google searches reinforce our past. All of those work.
When we get older, and this is NOT a boomer/age thing, we want to change the world. That is our legacy. Using our credentials from the past helps us do this.
But not everyone is a multi-millionaire or still connected but our zeal keeps us ‘doing’ on various levels. National for some, local for some, neighborhood or block for others.
Clark Kent was a gig. It enabled him to be close to things so he could be Superman or Superwoman.
I do stuff in Washington. And you know what? I lied in the beginning of my post. That’s not my job. that is who I am.
Doing stuff that seems to be a job but turning it inward, makes us heroes.
I’m not a hero. I’m just a guy who tries to do heroic things.
“I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
I'm just out to find
The better part of me”
We all have a better part of ourselves.
Solid thinking.
I think you left out “chef”…..
Oh, and I’m very glad you didn’t hire me at USA….room would have been crowded. H
You're thinking inward again!! Sometimes that worries me. I know you as a good man, today! I read the " book". I try to draw you out as you have so much to offer the "homeless" at Starbucks. Your opinion on our conversations count. You make us happy, I wish we could do the same for you!!
Friend