Public Persona, Private Time

I have a theory: Most of the people who are famous are famous as a result of their work. As a result of this job-fame, they are strongly encouraged to A) Work quite a bit and B) Maintain precious little division between their work and home lives. As a result, success's unique ability to ruin lives has been well-documented since antiquity.

Therefore, I'm conflicted when a celebrity decides to hang up the spikes or abandon their creation. On one hand, since I suspect that 99% of these people are extremely overworked, I feel that I should be happy if they develop a life in which they walk at a more leisurely pace. On the other hand — especially if I'm a fan of their work — I hate to see them go. I'm particularly conflicted when someone like Garrison Keillor (who, to me, symbolizes a relaxed pace of life) has open heart surgery and then promptly returns to work.

With this as a backdrop, I want to tell you that Dave Chapelle has fled the country. He has taken leave of his show and his responsibilities and gone to South Africa. I'm not kidding.

I want him back.



Dave, when you're ready, please come back and make me laugh until I need to use an inhaler. We miss you. If you get the chance, please visit Lesotho while you're there. I've always wanted to visit a country that is completely contained within another country (...though I've been to Vatican City, I don't think that really counts).