The best time to be humble is when you are famous. It sounds easy but it is not as easy as it sounds. Difficult as it is, humility should be your second nature, particularly when your name travels faster than the bearer of the name.

Few years back, I had an experience with a gospel artist, a celebrity, that keeps ringing in my head anytime humility is the subject. That experience reminded me that if one fails to manage fame, he could be living on exaggerated identity.

This young and talented gospel artist was invited as a guest minister for a programme in my church. I happened to be the protocol officer detailed on him on that occasion, a volunteer job in the church.

Being my principal, I was responsible for assisting him and seeing to his needs for as long as the programme lasted until he departs the church premises.

Time to leave, after the programme, he became troubled. He kept calling his driver but the driver was not anywhere near. His driver probably did not envisage that the programme would end earlier and went on a cruise.

As I stood with him in his troubled state, some guys, who are apparently his friends before he became a celebrity kept coming to greet him. These friends, in my estimation, didn’t need more than mere recognition from him to show that they are also friends of a celebrity. I could see that they were excited to see their friend become famous.

My first observation was the way he snubbed all the guys as if they don’t exist. Little did I know that my own dose of “I’m bigger than you” pill would soon be served. All of them left disappointed one after the other because he treated them like lesser humans.

It was becoming a little embarrassing for him that he was stranded because his driver was not near. Quickly, I sought and got permission from my head of department to drop him in his house with my own car.

I became his chauffeur driver for that moment, gladly so. While the trip lasted, he commanded me like his house boy plus his driver. If I check, this young man will be younger than I am by not less than ten years. It could be up to fifteen.

The rudest shock was when I dropped him by his house gate. He managed to open the car door by himself without saying thank you and he entered his house. I guess I didn’t deserve a thank you probably because he expected me to come down and open the door for him like he is used to.

The human in me raged silently at his attitude as I drove off but quickly, I reminded myself that it was just an extension of my duty in the church. If only the young man knows that he is living on exaggerated identity.

It’s easy to forget your humble beginning when you become famous if you let down your guard. Your circle of influence will change. Your preference may change. Your opinion will begin to count, not necessarily because you know better than others but because your status has changed.

It takes a super humble fellow to remain humble when he becomes famous. But come to think of it, what does it take to observe the simple courtesies as the rules of life?

In my opinion, no one becomes prideful because he is famous. He has always been prideful but living on borrowed identity, only for fame to reveal his true identity.

Whatever your status is, if you are not self-conscious, the society could inflate your ego beyond your true worth. You could even be living on a false identity. Statuses do change. Please, be humble.

©️Akin Oluwadare Jnr.
15 May 2023