April 10: "ENG 243: The History of Egotism," Accomplished People, Nobel Prize in Literature

Billy Collins gives a lesson on humility . . . 

ENG 243:  The History of Egotism

by:  Billy Colins

You will notice, class,

that Wordsworth did not write

"Edward, the butcher's son,

wandered lonely as a cloud."

I'm not a big fan of ego.  In fact, I find any person who suffers from an acute case of egotism kind of dull and annoying.  Unless you have a Nobel Prize or Oscar sitting on your bookshelf, don't try to impress me.  It ain't gonna work.

I deal with a lot of artists in my job at the library.  Musicians and writers and actors.  I've had conversations with two U. S. Poets Laureate and a Pulitzer Prize winner.  In New York once, I had a close encounter with Alex Baldwin.  I've taken a writing workshop with a novelist who won the National Book Award.  One of classmates from graduate school is a New York Times bestselling author. 

In my experience, very accomplished people don't have to brag about their achievements.  They don't want to be treated like celebrities or gods.  They crave normalcy, not adulation.  Sure, there are perks to a certain amount of celebrity--trips and money (sometimes) and kind words.  But there are also downsides--loss of privacy and constant scrutiny and the need to prove yourself (over and over and over).

I come from a family background that didn't really encourage pride.  Hard work was the name of the game.  If that hard work paid out in money or a certain amount of recognition, all the better.  However, I've never sought praise or attention.  Those things make me feel . . . uncomfortable, and I will often redirect the conversation or situation (when I can) if I find myself in the spotlight.

Don't get me wrong--I won't turn down a Pulitzer Prize or National Book Award or Nobel Prize.  (Heck, I won't turn down a free order of French fries from McDonald's).  But, given a choice, I will take my dog for a walk rather than talk about myself on TV or radio.

If, next October, Saint Marty gets a phone call from the Swedish Academy, naming him the first blogger/poet to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, you will probably find him on some trail in the woods, thanking the trees for their shade.