The Numa-Numa Numen

One of the definitions of "numen" is "creative energy; genius". Gary Brolsma surrendered to it when he created a video of himself chair-dancing to a Romanian pop song and posted it on the internet. Two million downloads and counting later he's found that fame is fickle, even frightening. He strikes me as a bright, likeable guy with a gift for comedy, but he isn't enjoying his celebrity. He's found that the glaring spotlight can be frightening, even embarrassing.

I wish there were some way to let him know that he has more friends than scoffers out here in the world. Or maybe he's just sick that he didn't copyright the clip and sell it for 50 cents a download. Either way he deserves a spot on The Tonight Show or David Letterman.

I can sympathize with Gary. I have this conflict with myself and blogging. On one hand, I like to be heard and recognized, but I also fear making a gaffe that brands me forever as a fool. So I vacillate between posting my blog URL and keeping it to myself. Brolsma looks like a sweet young man with a natural gift for self-expression. He should realize that most of us are laughing with him, not at him.