Bing Bong Hot Dog

When I was in high school, my Dad belonged to a group of motorcyclists that were all recovering alcoholics and drug addicts.  They were a bit gnarly on the outside but always welcoming and warm hearted.  At an event in Lacrosse, WI there was a dance held after the meetings.  I, being a raging adolescent, was always on the prowl for girls.  Toward the end of the evening, one of my Dad’s friends caught me in the parking lot making out with a girl.  He ended up making a huge spectacle of the situation in front of my parents and all the members…in the end, I was given the name Studpuppy.  And throughout my days in high school, I was always referred to as such when around these people; it became sort of iconic.

I am not a celebrity, nor am I famous for inventing anything or leading any kind of group.  I do my daily job well and am recognized for it regularly, but I’m no icon.  Michael Jackson however was most certainly an icon.  You may not have liked his music, but you can not deny the fact that he led a very iconic lifestyle.  He was constantly surrounded by media when in public and his life was dissected by the likes of every journalistic mosquito out there.

MJ went through various stages in his life.  He made great music (in my opinion) but I don’t think that’s why he became the star he was.  It was his reclusive behavior, his eccentric traits, his outlandish acts and his sometimes questionable demeanor that made him an icon.

So what do us Joe Plumbers have to do in this world to gain this sought after status?  I’m not sure that I necessarily want the same status that MJ had.  It reaped havoc on his life, much the same way it did with Elvis Presley, The Beatles and even Hannah Montana (though I don’t count her in the same category quite yet).  It may be the very reason that he went incognito in the first place.  What about local iconic status?  I live in St. Louis…what if I was an icon in St. Louis.  I think I could handle that, probably the way I handled it when I was a kid.  It’s a smaller group of people, and in a small way, I think it adds some intimacy with the people you’re around everyday.

Do you want to be an icon?  I’m interested to hear your thoughts because it could go either way really.  Some people spend their entire lives trying to get into the lime light.  Others somehow fall into it for just being themselves.  Maybe being an icon is not about WHAT you do, but more about WHO you are as a person.