When I woke up this morning, I had two thoughts. They were so prominent that I haven’t been able to shake them since, like when you wake up with a song stuck in your head and can’t get rid of it. The word “idol” popped into my head. I have no idea why. I wasn’t even dreaming about anyone that I idolize, which led to my second thought: doubt. Doubt in those that I idolize. I guess it’s something that I think about a lot in passing. I find myself often wondering what it is that constitutes an idol, for me, and why I’ve chosen to place them on that pedestal at this particular moment in life. It’s not like there’s a checklist in my head of things that a person must do in order to be an idol. They just kind of assume the role, and more often than not, offer some sort of educational reassurance. But that’s where doubt entered my mind this morning, where I suddenly for no particular reason, began to wonder if my idols had flaws, which would then leave room for doubt. My doubt in their ability to fulfill their duty as an idol.
This is what happens to my head on Mondays, more often than not. I get inside and sometimes can’t get out, and that’s okay. I think that for the purpose of idols and doubt, on this Monday, I’ve concluded that I have to sometimes be wary of those that I look up to. Because if I’m not, then I end up investing too much faith in something that is just as flawed as I am, if not more. The only difference is that they’ve conquered certain things in life that I have yet to conquer, and that’s why they assume to greater role in my mind. I think we tend to idolize people that do things that are not too far out of our reach, because we know that maybe one day we too will be able to do the same if not, more.
I thought this song was appropriate for today because I like the duality between Amadou & Miriam, two musicians who are respected and loved in the music scene, and Theophilus London, a newer artist with a lot to learn from. Both types of musicians are valuable and worth following, be it for technique, musicality, ethic, or whatever.