04
Feb
2008
Posted by Mihaela Lica as Blogging Advice, Featured
This is a metaphor.
You climb the highest mountain and gaze around you. It’s an achievement and everyone you know is mesmerized by your courage, devotion and willingness to succeed. You are above the rest. Top of the world. Happy. You did it.
You like it there. There is no one like you. You have all the reasons in the world to be proud and you look around to see who else admires the uncrowned king or queen. Is there anyone else so high, so popular, so awesome?
Guess what: veiled by the clouds, amidst other mountain-tops, as happy in their solitude and as unaware, there are so many others… just like you. Just like you. Blind. The ones who forgot all about their roots because the wind has carried them so high.
They are the ones who, just like you, cannot see more, not because they necessarily climbed to the top of the world, but because… the fog is there. Foggy glory: an illusion. Just like yours.
When you are there you mess up because you forget. You tend to forget even the people who helped you climb so fast and so far; and you are too blind to see the real stars – cloudy days shade the sun. Another day passes by…
Act one was when we met, I loved you at first glance
You read your line so cleverly and never missed a cue
Then came act two, you seemed to change and you acted strange
And why I’ll never know
A king asked that long before you, blogging queen, blogging king. There was someone else there, just like you. When will you wake up? When will you look back on your past, see your roots and understand: the higher you climb, the harder you fall. Without the people around you have no name. There is no glory without those smaller than you. There is no triumph. A king without a kingdom is a pauper in any man’s word. So stop dreaming.
What do I want to say, in the end, with this entry? That if you are one of those who forgot their roots, you will not even bother to read. But if you are one of those who still understand what blogging is all about… you will read, comment, share. Just like me. You are here: this is the proof that climbing hasn’t cut off your roots. You are ivy spreading your roots everywhere. Not poison ivy. Ivy.
Let me ask you a simple question: how high does one need to climb to suddenly become too important? I noticed the phenomena in many blogs, even companies that just start their journey. Once they get more attention than anyone expected, they start acting like primadonas. What they forget in the journey is that to be a primadona you need the looks, the voice, the talent, the charisma but most importantly you need the public to see all those great gifts.
There is no glory without an audience. There is no star without the sky to shine on and obviously there is no way to become “the brightest” star without the stars to be compared with. When you sing alone in the shower what is there to make you shine?
18 Responses
pearl
February 4th, 2008 at 5:55 am
1haha this is so true, right from the heart Mig
‘you can’t shine without other stars to compare you with’ ‘there is no glory without an audience’ - so damn true! But again, these so called ‘lonely bathroom singers’ were blind when they were on earth to begin with, let alone when they are on cloud nine 
Alina Popescu
February 4th, 2008 at 9:08 am
2Great entry Mig! It is true, power and fame can corrupt a lot of people. I am not surprised to see this happening in the blogosphere. I loved the ivy metaphor, it sums up what the right attitude and overview on past and present we should all maintain.
Laane
February 4th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
3Well, when you arrive at the highest top there’s only one moment to look around because you gasp for breath.
There’s not much oxygen at the hightest tops.
HMTKSteve
February 4th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
4Just as in life, there are those who rise above (on the backs of others) and think they are great.
some of those people do not forget the little guy on purpose, they are just so driven that they forget to look behind them.
Luci
February 4th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
5I have to agree, unfortunately. People get high on power, even the little bit of power they experience as a “blogging queen or king”. It’s an addiction, more reviews, more fans. And just like any other addiction, it is sick.
Lu
Mihaela Lica
February 4th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
6Hi Pearl: I’ve decided that you can shine in the shower with the proper shower gel. Or at least with some glossy body cream…
Mihaela Lica
February 4th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
7Hi Laane, I think you are right. Now I understand why those of the top don’t find the power to look down. Another idea could be: because they are actually afraid of heights.
Mihaela Lica
February 4th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
8I know what you mean, Steve. But what happens when you actually touch the ones ahead on their shoulders and they still don’t look back? No matter the rush, we still owe it to our followers to respect them.
Mihaela Lica
February 4th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
9Lu, I cannot agree that all addictions are sick. I don’t see addictions as 100% negative. To be addicted to beauty for example is not bad at all. What happens to these people is that they become addicted to their own reflections. Not necessarily sick, but sad. Though… I think I know why you used the term…
Pearl
February 4th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
10Beautiful article. Humility is so important. Being like ivy is a wonderful metaphor. So easy to see where we started when we think of it. Don’t forget to remember!
Mihaela Lica
February 4th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
11Thank you, Pearl. That’s one of the most beautiful comments I’ve got on such an entry so far. I know you always remember.
Luci
February 5th, 2008 at 1:31 am
12Michaela,
If one is addicted to beauty to the point where you neglect all else, I see it as sick, unfortunately.
Lu
Laura
February 8th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
13Very well-written piece! Good job Mig.
Maria&Stefano
February 10th, 2008 at 12:09 am
14Such a great post my friend!!!
we should never forget where we came from…it made us who we are…
Lots of love to you:)
M.
Edward Beckett
February 10th, 2008 at 1:23 am
15From RUSH … The Trees …
Mihaela Lica
February 13th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
16Thank you so much Laura.
Maria, my friend! You are back! Good to know.
Edward, you nailed it with those verses.
Soli
February 28th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
17I would love to reassert what I wrote on your “Part of My Life” entry, it appears you are some kind of a poet. This is an inspiring piece of writing, keep it up!
Mary Ann
May 18th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
18Excellent point(s) were addressed here, Mig, thank you. As far as my personal input is that I’ve learned that the higher one gets, the more backside is viewed by those who are watching ‘underneath.’ It gets really testy when we’re looking up to those who are wearing kilts or females wearing short skirts, if you catch my drift. As for me, I find myself red in the face with embarrassment. Then again, that’s me. And yes, I’m as serious as a heart attack. I don’t embarrass easily yet I can still blush accordingly. Occasionally, I’ll even get a bit queasy and light headed. In the south, it’s called having “the vapors.”
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