It’s who you know
The old adage, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” came to mind this morning, but not in a way that this phrase is typically used (no networking was involved). I was turning on the Disney Channel show “Bunnytown” for my son and as I was watching the opening credits, up popped the name of a man who lives in my neighborhood. He, his brother, and another person are the creators for this show and I had an interesting reaction when I saw his name. It was almost a feeling of pride, like I was a little bit better of a person because I know this man. The thing is, I don’t really know him that well. I went to his house a few years ago for a neighborhood dinner party and remember seeing his numerous Emmy Awards on a shelf, which is certainly something you don’t come across every day. I see him around now and then in the neighborhood and say hello, but I doubt he’d know my name. But the fact that he lives close to me gave me a brief sense of satisfaction. Why? Even if I did know him better, why should my self-worth be even a little affected by the fact that I rub elbows with someone who does something pretty cool for a living (develop children’s television shows) and is successful at it. I reflected on and wrote about this a few months ago when I wrote about my brief interactions with Michelle Obama.
I suppose there are lots of psychological or spiritual reasons why people might see themselves in a better light because of the company they keep, but that seems like a pretty precarious way of seeing yourself. One would expect this kind of feeling as a child or youth, but surely a person outgrows it, right? Sadly, no. At least in my case.
I think about the many times I want to be around a certain person because of the attention she attracts. Sometimes, I really don’t know the person, but just the fact that she has a certain notoriety makes me want to say that I know her. On the other hand, if a person is just kind of average, I may not be as drawn to him.
This certainly isn’t something I’m proud of, especially as I read the gospels and note that again and again Jesus made it a habit of hanging with the average, the outcast, and the scorned. Sometimes proclaiming who you know can indeed say a lot about yourself. And that might not be a good thing.
Monday, July 7, 2008