On a different topic

Ok, Mark, here's a post on a different subject...

My coworker is the sister of a famous lead singer of a well-known band. I used to not know this, and I now know this. I was at lunch with coworkers for one of the women's birthdays and we were chatting about famous men we find attractive. Brad Pitt's name got floated around quite a bit. Then someone said, "Well, you know Tina's [fake name] brother." The other women nodded heads and murmured, "Yeah, Tom [fake name] is pretty cute." I was confused. "Tom?" "Yeah, Tom, Tina's brother. Don't you know him?" "Well, uh, did her brother come into the office? How would I have met him?" I have to say that I had no idea who Tina's brother was and Tom's real name is kinda common. "You know, Tom [last name], from [famous band]."

What?? Tina's brother is Tom from Famous Band??

(Tina and Tom are so off their real names, it's weird to type it!)

The women continued, "Yeah, doesn't she look like him?" and described stories of their relatives visiting the office and being very impressed with meeting Tina. One women's niece knew who Tina was just by looking at her (and her hyphenated last name which has her maiden name included) because she's such a big fan, she has all the family members memorized. Creepy...

So I get back to the office, kinda in shock, and happen to pass Tina a few times that day. I try to secretly stare at her, trying to find resemblance to Tom. Kinda, I guess.

I've gotten a chance to talk with Tina more lately during four mile walks around the lake. I want to ask what it's like to have this famous brother but seems very blase about it. She'll mention him a few times here and there but only in context of her own life.

I find myself surprised by how I see her differently now that I know this. Why is she different because her brother is a famous musician? Fame is a funny thing, isn't it? Putting a camera on someone, broadcasting their image and/or creative expression to millions of people, makes you feel like you both know them intimately and that they're better or different or not quite like you. But they're still just a person, with the same emotions and weaknesses. And so with their siblings, also.