| The best way to cheapen anything is to | | | | innocuous bit of pedantry merits notice. The |
| overuse it ...I recall a sports clip from | | | | Longer Life site promotes factors which can |
| many years ago, where a veteran basketball | | | | improve your quality of living. To me, that |
| player near the end of his career was | | | | implies that certain standards of competence |
| reminiscing about his prime and comparing it | | | | must be maintained. In the bell curve of |
| to the supporting-cast status he was about to | | | | daily existence, there must be sentinels |
| assume with his latest team. He made a | | | | whose very actions exemplify and maintain |
| comment along the lines of "I've been a | | | | quality in their area of expertise. This is |
| superstar; it's fine with me if I don't have | | | | how a culture advances.The impact of |
| that role anymore."Perhaps he thought he was | | | | wordsmiths in any culture is enormous. Not |
| being humble. For my part, I thought that if | | | | only do they chronicle every aspect of it, |
| I didn't remember him from a fairly | | | | they influence its nature and perceptions. |
| illustrious college career, I wouldn't have | | | | The prominence of their vocations ensures |
| picked him out of a lineup of | | | | they are very aware of these realities.Thus, |
| one.Superstar?This word took flight in the | | | | there should be little or no tolerance for |
| 1970s, as far as I can tell. It was | | | | rendering the tools of their trade --- words |
| originally intended to draw a distinction | | | | and grammar --- in diminishing contexts.Thus, |
| between well-known people and really | | | | in this instance, a 'star' is recognized by |
| well-known people, usually from the sports or | | | | anyone who follows his profession. A |
| entertainment industries. However, I think | | | | 'superstar' is recognized by anyone. David |
| most would agree that the term reached its | | | | Beckham is a superstar. So is Michael Jordan, |
| zenith when Andrew Lloyd-Weber and Tim Rice | | | | Babe Ruth, Wayne Gretzky, Humphrey Bogart, |
| affixed it to the title of their most famous | | | | Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and Maria |
| rock opera, 'Jesus Christ | | | | Callas.So is Ernest Hemingway.His work is |
| Superstar.'Admittedly, a reference like that | | | | proof that it's not the tools you use, but |
| set the bar quite high for anyone else who | | | | how you use them. He's what Hunter S Thompson |
| might want to be affiliated with the | | | | and Richard Farina almost were. More |
| designation. But to me, this is the way it | | | | importantly, he did his part to keep the bar |
| should be.For the past decade or so, | | | | raised high.That Hemingway immersed himself |
| especially in the USA, 'superstar' has been | | | | into every aspect of that word is a |
| so watered down that even pop dictionaries | | | | backhanded tribute to his zeal for both his |
| have begun to pull back on its significance. | | | | times and his craft.It's what we should |
| Any notable of the moment seems to qualify. | | | | expect from a superstar.J Square Humboldt is |
| However, for the most part, unless they're | | | | the featured columnist at the Longer Life |
| like the basketball player mentioned above | | | | website, which is dedicated to providing |
| and actually believe the hype, they're not | | | | information, strategies, analysis and |
| the root of the diluted definition.That | | | | commentary designed to improve the quality of |
| distinction is reserved for our contemporary | | | | living. His page can be found at and his |
| wordsmiths, the writers and broadcasters of | | | | observations are published three times per |
| our time.There's a reason such a seemingly | | | | week. |