Missing the point of life.

What do these people have in common?: George Clooney, Hugh Grant, Jennifer Aniston, Ricky Gervais, Cameron Diaz, Winona Ryder, Eva Mendes, Jessica Biel, Helen Mirren, Margaret Cho, Jacqueline Bisset, Janeane Garofalo, Jay Leno, Kim Cattrall, Kylie Minogue, Lara Flynn Boyle, Opray Winfrey, Renee Zellwegger and Robbie Williams.
Have a think. What is the common trait?

You probably thought: “they are all “stars””. Well, yes…but that is not what I am reaching after. Each of the famous people named is child-less. They are not parents and except for one (Hugh Grant), have never expressed any interest in having a child. Hugh Grant began to mutter about fatherhood as a possibility at 49…but almost two years have passed and he has yet to do anything about it.

From my point of view, each of these famous people is missing the point of life. It is almost certain that none of them will have any children, in life. When they die, their uniqueness, such as it is, will die with them. None of the particular elements that went up to make their individual gifts will be passed on. They will be completely lost, as if they had never been (except for media records). In a very real sense, these people, at whom most of us look up to, as if they are outrageously “successful” are each, in actual fact, complete failures, in the only sense that really counts: in evolutionary terms. The four and half billion year chain of life, that gave rise to them – an unbroken chain of succession – ends with them. They are thus, total failures. They are the end-stop, of all the multibillion year striving that engendered them. There is something terribly tragic in that. Of course, what is most tragic is that none of them seem to realize it. They are too superficial, too concerned with their “personal freedom”, to understand what they are doing, or what they are losing.

I do not have success on the scale of any of these famous names. Yet, in another sense, I am far more successful than any of them. I am a successful parent, with three unique children. That is a kind of success that, in my eyes, outshines all that they have achieved in their media-hyped worlds. If I am fortunate and my children go on to have children, and their children, children and so on, then I shall have descendants spreading out through time, into the far future. Those famous names, however, will nothing behind but their names. Which is worth more…a legion of children…or a name? Life is ever greater than a word – whatever those famous people might think, now. Then again, it is possible that I will leave a name, as well as my children and grandchildren in this world. I might leave both types of legacy. That type of dual success is forever barred to Hollywood’s childless couples.

The common man might not see my life as “successful” as a Hollywood star – but in the way that really counts, I am far more successful, and accomplished. My life is lived with an understanding of the true purpose of life – theirs is not. I have given life to the world…but all they have given is entertainment. Set against each other, side by side, a life of entertainment does seem rather trivial by comparison. They have chosen a life free of substance, rich in triviality and fleeting sensation. They have set themselves free of children, so that they are “free” to enjoy themselves the better. Now, that is a choice we can all make – to choose pleasure over parenthood – but pleasure is always a fleeting thing, that needs to be forever sought again – parenthood is forever, or at least for life. It is not difficult to see, for me, at least, which, ultimately has the greater value.

So, which would you rather be: a Hollywood star, who is forever childless, or a parent of several adorable children? Would you choose the spotlight, or parenthood?

Posted by Valentine Cawley

(If you would like to support my continued writing of this blog and my ongoing campaign to raise awareness about giftedness and all issues pertaining to it, please donate, by clicking on the gold button to the left of the page.

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To learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 5, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

There is a review of my blog, on the respected The Kindle Report here:http://thekindlereport.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-knew-too-much-child-prodigy.html

Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks.

You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at:http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is athttp://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

The legend of Macaulay Culkin

Macaulay Culkin is famous, still, long after he has actually done anything to be famous for. Now, there is nothing wrong with that, since reputations often endure long after that which prompted them. Unusually, perhaps, though, compared to those others whose reputations have endured long after their cause (like certain pop/rock stars who no longer perform or compose, but still hit the gossip columns), Macaulay Culkin is famous because of what he did as a child. He is now 30. However, Macaulay Culkin has not been wasting his time, in his adult years. He has been dating Mila Kunis. I learnt this, today, on hearing that he had broken up with her.

Now the question is: what do you think people would be searching for, on hearing that Macaulay Culkin had broken up with Mila Kunis? Perhaps they might be asking questions like: did Macaulay Culkin have any children with Mila Kunis? Or: “Why did Macaulay Culkin break up with Mila Kunis?” Or “Did Mila Kunis dump Macaulay Culkin or vice-versa?” Or: “Did Macaulay Culkin cheat on Mila Kunis?”. Now these are all fair questions in the aftermath of the Mila Kunis breakup. However, that is not what interests people about Macaulay Culkin. Today, on my blog, the whole world is telling me just what they want to know about Macaulay Culkin. Rather astoundingly, fully 75% of searches arriving on my blog today, concern Macaulay Culkin. Yet, they are not searching about what you might consider reasonable, given his life events, today. Everyone is searching about Macaulay Culkin’s wealth.

The searches today, consist entirely of such humane gems as: “Is Macaulay Culkin rich?” “How much is Macaulay Culkin worth?” “What is Macaulay Culkin’s net worth?” “Is Macaulay Culkin wealthy?” “How much money does Macaulay Culkin have?” “Does Macaulay Culkin still have money?” “How does Macaulay Culkin make a living, now?” “What does Macaulay Culkin do for a living, now?” etc etc. Not one person, arriving on my blog, is interested in anything else about Macaulay Culkin, apart from his net worth/riches/wealth/money/assets.

To my mind, this does appear to indicate that people don’t think of Hollywood and its acting products, to be particularly meaningful. At least, the ones that Macaulay Culkin appeared in, don’t appear to interest them. No-one is interested in Macaulay Culkin’s acting achievements: they are only interested in the money they assume he got from them. No one is interested in whether Macaulay Culkin is an interesting guy, whether he is intelligent, sensitive, creative, caring, kind, loving, or anything else for that matter. All they care about is whether Macaulay Culkin is rich. Now, I don’t know whether Macaulay Culkin will ever read my blog (doubtful, given the vastness of the internet ), but if he does, I would like him to consider the evidence of my blog searches, and urge him to a certain caution, in his assessment of the character of those he meets. If he does not already do so, of course. For my blog suggests that most people, now, are only interested in one thing: Macaulay Culkin’s money.

By the way, for those interested in his supposed net worth, I saw an estimate a couple of years back saying he had 30 million US dollars to his name – so yes, he probably does have quite a lot of money. However, I am sure he has much else to recommend him too…so if you meet Macaulay Culkin, why not pause to find out what he is like as a PERSON and not a BANK ACCOUNT.

Personally, I find it rather disturbing that the interest in Macaulay Culkin should be so one dimensional. Of all the qualities a human being can have and which can inspire interest, the amount of money they have should be somewhere near the bottom of the list. To the modern net searcher, however, it seems to be at the top. What kind of world have we created that it should be so? What kind of people are there in this modern world of ours? Could they get any more one dimensional themselves? (I ask because a person reveals their depths, through the shallowness of their concerns.)

I wish Macaulay Culkin well on finding a new girlfriend – preferably one who does not search the internet for his net worth: poor rich guy!

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

There is a review of my blog, on the respected The Kindle Report here: http://thekindlereport.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-knew-too-much-child-prodigy.html

Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks.

You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)