Celestine is once again looking at her face, checking if everything is in place. She looks stunning as usual, being the perfect picture of success, the dream of her many fans around the world; she’s well known, rich and successful. All that and much more was the prize for selling her soul!
A dry sarcastic smile suddenly dresses her beautiful face, with resignation she lights another cigarette and sips some more champagne, as if this could erase her apprehension and bitterness. She hates her life and many times contemplates the idea of ending it, as there is nothing to live for! But then, what an example will she set to others! To all those that have put her on a pedestal and look to her for advice and leadership…
If they knew that she is just a preacher but not a believer! What will happen to them if they ever know she is “just an act? Will people come to spit on her grave or will they come to put red roses on it?
At the very beginning she loved what she did, she did believe in everything she wrote and talked about. But fame came to her by surprise and like a drug she was hooked. From being a nobody to suddenly be someone was too much for her to handle, her “ego” took over and she become the “guru” she always condemned.
What was supposed to be a life inspiration to others became a mere business, a product that needed to be sold to a demanding competitive market. Things where no longer driven by the heart; instead they were driven by business advisors, publishers, event promoters, markets trends, etc. She did try to resist at the beginning, but then she was afraid of losing everything... the fame, the money, the trips around the world and her endless admirers. So she crossed the line knowing there was no coming back.
A lazy mischievous smile resembling the long forgotten Celestine illuminates her face, secretly suggesting what she is thinking… today she could surprise everybody, including herself; she could cross the line again and break free! But then the fear slaps her again shutting down any intention of not keeping the act.
Breathing deep she smirks at her reflection and with a sudden strength she stands up and slowly begins to walk towards the TV studio where the reporter is waiting for her….
© 2009 Gabriela Abalo Author
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This story was published on Paulo Coelho's blog on 25th June 2009 http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2009/06/25/your-story-in-my-blog-keeping-the-act-by-gabriela-abalo
5 comments:
well this is a sad thing, but unfortunately it is true for many people.
My take on this is that; let the internal define your external. If you let the world define you, your real you will not come out and you will have a sad life.
As i was reading the story i thought poor Celestine but then i realised it's actually poor us! So many of us are her,giving up so much of ourselves for what we think will make us happy but then it doesn't and we're too scared to go back because we'll lose it all!!
So the question is "mirror, mirror on the wall, do i see the real me or a fading reminder of the me i was..."
Take off the masks!
What it is so sad about Celestine’s story is that she represents many of the people we idolize. We often see only the external picture: money, power, fame, etc, instead of seeing “who they really are”.
Many of them are not happy at all but they rather keep faking it that accepting the truth.
We do not like to see them as normal human beings, we prefer to think they belong to the super human, the one we all want to become one day! So we refuse to accept anything that spoil us that dream.
Poor Celestine and poor us…
Hi Gabi, I thought I would do as you suggested and read some your older posts. I'm touched by Celestine's story. I know that in similar circumstance I would take the path she took because i am not immune to adulation. As Celestine did I might come to regret that decision and long for the simpler times at the beginning. The question I have is how do we turn back the clock. But fame can be fleeting. Yesterday's star is just tomorrow's trivia answer. And in that renewed anonymity there maybe a chance to begin again.
Thank you for visiting some of the older posts. Celestine’s story is based on a reality we sadly see on a daily basis… people who forget who they are just to be who others want them to be.
Fame and power are addictive, same as alcohol, drugs or any other substance.. I believe we can always turn back the clock, the choice is ours. We need to defeat the fear of the unknown, we need to believe in ourselves.
What is fame if it takes away our happiness? Does power justify the non realization of the self?
Do we really want to pay that high prize for power and fame?
Power and fame are just delusions and traps of our ego to distract us from living life. We should always keep that in mind…
loveNlight
Gabi
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