Faded Glory is not just a clothing brand

I just finished reading an article here on Vocal (https://shopping-feedback.today/journal/the-thing-that-makes-me-most-sad-in-my-work) and it was like listening to a passionate monologue from a peer. Every word I took in, and agreed that the writer made excellent points, yet was certain that I had answers to his questions - mainly why or how does an expert fade out in a once blooming career? I know exactly why and how because I am or at least have been the so-called "expert" that writer is talking about.

It all starts with ambition, hope, and inexperience. That's how anybody begins on the path of acquiring the skills, talents, and knowledge that makes them extraordinary in some field. Not everybody is born a Mozart, and while some will argue that Shakespeare was born with the gift of the sonnet, I believe that he honed his skills for a long time before becoming the greatest writer of his time. Would he be an expert today? Would Mozart still be relevant in an age where cell phones, digital downloads, apps, memes, and sampling are prevailant? Probably not.

This happens all the time to the bungled and the botched, as Nietzche would call us. We have moments of greatness, a time where our star is shining bright and everyone wants a piece of it. Some of us are like Shell Silverstein's "Giving Tree" and we give and give and give until all of our "fans" or "followers" surpass whatever we had to give and we are left empty or stumped. We could try to keep up in that "rat race" - learn a new app, play a new game, find some more updated information that makes us seem more relevant and useful --- but what for? We already did that and have already seen and experienced that the information or skill was only temporarily desired and not a cherished or appreciated gift. There is no point to acquiring anymore as the same fate simply awaits that new acquisition.

People who have kept up with technology don't understand why I don't like smart phones. They don't understand why I haven't saved my money to try the latest and greatest Iphone and get to know all the new apps. Why am I not trying a new social media site or learning about new ways to network and boost my career? I just shake my head and sigh heavily. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of doing my best and giving all that I have to give just to watch others do and be better because they bounced off what I had to give. I'm tired of watching people spend a fortune on cassettes only to learn that cds were more progressive, but then only to learn that digital downloads were "better", but then only to be told that having a subscription to Sirius or Alexa is "even better". Stop already. Just stop. It's not expert advice, it's insanity. It's a rat race that fools the unsuspecting into wasting their lives and their money trying to keep up and be relevant when in reality it's all irrelevant nonsense.

I didn't drop out of high school when I was 15 or 16 even though I had a car and a job. I wanted my diploma. I thought there was still vital information for me to obtain and I didn't want to miss out on the free education that was being provided. High school isn't always fun, but there were opportunities to learn things there that I could not get elsewhere and I was aware of that. I was not the valedictorian. I was just an average kid who was wise enough to know what opportunity is. So I finished high school, and because I obtained my diploma that allowed me to pursue a college education later. I thought I'd be an expert in the English language. I'm good, but I'm not an expert. I woudn't even call Shakespeare an expert, even though he's probably the closest to one that you will find. What I realized as my glory began to fade over the years is that an "expert" is just someone who knows something that the people around him don't know, and once they know, his expertise is gone and their use and appreciation of him also. It's actually quite tragic.