Empty Lives

In what way has your life been impacted by the recent marriage of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez? Unless you live in Hollywood and know the pair personally, I'm betting not all. Yet still we are bombarded with photos and stories about the event, like it matters. This morning I read a headline that said "they both cried at the wedding." OMG! Well, that bit of news changed everything for me -- I had planned to have scrambled eggs for breakfast but after reading that I opted for toast with hummus, and really I couldn't even finish it, I was so moved.

Celebrity worship is a religion in America. I am not a follower, but I have known many people who are. I remember when years ago, Prince Charles and Diana were married and several friends of mine -- all of them gay males by the way which is an odd and interesting note -- assembled in the middle of the night (because of the time difference between the US and Britain) to "attend" the wedding. The host, who was my boss at the time, threw a fancy black-tie party from which they all watched the proceedings and toasted the newlyweds with champagne. I was unable to attend as I was busy sleeping and lacked interest. But to Tom and his friends it was a major big deal that had been planned weeks in advance. 

The internet has only made things worse, with every little thing said or done by anyone who has ever appeared on TV or in a movie reported on like something monumentally important to us all. It's sad and depressing to realize how empty people's own lives must be when they gossip and think about total strangers, often leaving their own friends and families unheralded.