Which would you want to be, rich or famous? No fair going for both, or thinking that fame will bring you wealth or that wealth will bring you fame. Sure, this naturally happens, but let’s say you have only one option.

And let’s qualify this further. I mean rich as in monetary wealth. Since so few of us actually acquire piles of cash, we tend to exaggerate our friendships and good health and happy jobs as some form of surrogate wealth. Please, let’s keep it real.

The same goes for any bogus definition of fame. Head cheerleader, city councilman, un-indicted co-conspirator - these are flash-in-the-pan situations and not true fame. The 15 minutes of fame each of us is promised is really no more than a spark in a roaring fire.

Would you recognize the third richest man in the world if he knocked on your front door?

The way I see it, it’s too expensive to be famous. There are too many stalkers, too many sycophants, and too many demands from the greedy public.

If you’re rich, you have too many relatives, too many lawyers, and too many investment bankers after you. But you can afford private phone numbers, a private estate, and bodyguards.

The famous can’t go anywhere without being hassled, except for maybe France. But France can get old fast. The rich can roam anywhere on the planet, and they never have to go to France if they don’t want to.

The famous are always expected to do something altruistic. The rich can avoid this annoyance with a giant solid gold barrier of anonymity.

The famous are targets. The rich are out of reach.

Of course neither is really an option, is it? You and I will never be rich or famous. Out of more than 300,000,000 Americans, or out of nearly 7,000,000,000 global citizens, what are your actual chances at either?

But still, which would you prefer? I guess you know my answer.

Jim Lawter

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