Things haven’t changed much in 2,000 years.
It’s amazing how easily we succumb to the dazzling and often flamboyant lifestyles of celebrities.
I’m thinking of the recent fly-though by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - you’d think that life in Canada came to an abrupt halt while they were here and that nothing else mattered.
Charming as they were, they didn’t really add anything to the fabric of the universe during their visit to Canada.
But I’m not picking on the royal couple. They’re just the most recent example of celebrity worship.
I don’t think anyone was expecting to hear pearls of enlightenment drip from their lips, or gold coins to be scattered at their feet. Out of the crowds who came to see them, did anyone really expect to have a deep and meaningful conversation with either of them?
So what is the attraction?
I admit that I’ve had my own “heroes” over the years (but not since Mark “The Bird” Fidrych pitched his last game for the Detroit Tigers in 1980).
Even back in the days of the Roman Empire, fascination with actors is well documented through personal letters and biographies. Actors, athletes, gladiators...
Seems that even in those days before television, the Romans loved a good show. And the Roman ladies adored the men on stage, or so I’ve read.
And if there had been film cameras in those days, we’d probably be watching two millennia of Homes of the Rich and Famous.
Obviously, we come by our fascination honestly, but honestly, what is it?
Even the most famous and powerful people in the world are just folks like you and me.
Maybe it’s that we feel like we’re a part of history in the making when we’re near them - part of a moment that will be recorded somewhere forever, or a name that, unlike ours, will never be forgotten.
Wendy Coomber is editor of the Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal