A Letter: There's Got to Be a Better Way

Dear Veteran Politicians, Athletes, Entertainers and other people of status who have managed to make it through this life without a whole lot of drama:

Is there any way you can develop some sort of a mentor program for these troubled fallen stars? For some reason this is weighing heavy on my heart today. I neither condone or condemn the actions of some of these troubled famous people. Let she who is without sin cast the first stone. However, it does seem like the success is a little too much for them to handle.

I'm not talking about folks who are destined to be a hot mess regardless. I'm talking about people who are very talented and have it in their spirits to be good people. But temptation is a mutha, isn't it?

I mean when you take a person who has never had a dime, and all of a sudden give him $100 million, do you expect that he will automatically know how to manage that much money and do the right things with it? Or a man who has never gotten any play his entire life all of a sudden has a billion dollars, he might just go buckwild with the ladies because now he's some how become soooo "hot." NOT! Take me for instance, I am very greedy. If all of a sudden I were able to have whatever food I wanted whenever I wanted it, I might be in big trouble--even develop an eating disorder.

Because of the spotlight and the microscope that they are under, it is impossible for these stars to have everyday people problems without being judged by their every move. Each decision they make could possible make or break their careers, and that's a lot of pressure. You have to admit that a lot of their pitfalls are directly attributed to the fame and fortune. If they didn't have the fame and fortune, the probably would do half of the things that ultimately end up ruining their lives and the lives of the people they care about. Quite frankly, their personal life is none of our business, and we should not have to depend on them to be our only role models. If a person professes to be a role model, then fine, we can hold her to that standard. But isn't unfair for us to put the pressure of being a role model on a person who is simply just trying to make a better life for their family and not necessarily trying to be America's hero?

I'm just saying, can we get these people some help before it's too late, and the media crucifies them? Some how they have to know that the very people who will build them up and portray them as golden boy and big stars will turn on them at the drop of a hat as soon as their indiscretions are exposed. It really breaks my heart to see talented influential people continue to go town the tubes over some bull. I'm not making excuses for them, I'm just saying...there's go to be a better way. I have a beautiful son growing inside of me that I know is destined for greatness. While I hope that my husband and I will be his main role models. I don't want him to have to constantly see these successful people that look like him continue to fall by the wayside, thus leaving him with a sense of hopelessness that deems him doomed to fail in the eyes of society. So to all my vets, I implore you to help these people battle the demons that are destroying them. Be their role models and don't let them drown in the media feeding frenzy cesspool.

(the second half of this video applies more to the letter than the first half does.)

~Joan