Lindsey Stirling: South by Southwest and Beyond Series - Part 2 The Dangers of Fandom

Howdy folks. Thanks for coming back for more. I didn't just want to write about a concert experience. I had done that before. I wanted this article to mean something in regards to fandom in general. It is human nature to have heros. It is human nature to want to be the hero, or to chase after that which inspires us. We have fan clubs, we dress in costumes, we have entire conventions based around one subject or even one person. We see worship and emulation of rock stars long after their deaths. I wanted to write a little bit on the subject of obsessive behavior. Its not a fun subject and this section seems to be a little bit controversial with some early readers. I hope it is written in such a way that it adds to the piece rather than detracting from it. I introduce the subject this way. Again, the sections of my article are in black italics.

As I get in line for the venue I wonder if I will be treated with a performance of a song from the new album, and I find myself lamenting the fact that I was unable to find any friends old or new to come to the event with. In fact, only a few people know I have made this trek from Houston to Austin. There are a few friends who if I told them I was going to a special Lindsey Stirling concert would give me a hard time. Even though they like Lindsey themselves, their teasing is meant to keep me honest. They want to make sure my enthusiasm for the violinst’s music never becomes unhealthy. I have quite a history.

If I did the all of the following for Star Wars related events, people might call it "normal" for a geek.  It still would be unhealthy if I made Star Wars fandom my entire life, but I nobody would bat an eye. The horror stories we read about surround one star or starlet. My objective here is to start to differentiate the overly enthusiastic from the dangerously obsessed.

Last year I went to four concerts. I paid pretty good money to meet her three times, and briefly interacted with the dubstep violinist on a fourth occasion. I had an action figure made in her honor and gave it to her as a gift. My kids and I made a commercial for this figure, and we also spent Black Friday filming a promotional video—running through a crowded shopping mall in the Spirit of Assassins Creed. I dressed up in a funny redneck disguise as a joke, and I tried to give her a brief martial arts lesson, the result of which was awkward. I remember it as a “seemed like a good idea at the time” moment. I also approached her with intent to collaborate as a writer and although I tried to maintain an air of professionalism, I have doubts about whether I succeeded and fear I came off forced. I’ve gone above and beyond the norm for most fans, and even to me it seems a little much sometimes. As a result, I evaluate and re-evaluate my motivations for all of my actions regarding Lindsey, and my conclusions are always positive. If I can adequately share my experience this past weekend, I think anyone who reads this will understand why I am such a geek for this artist. More than that, I would hope they would share my enthusiasm and support this amazing talent toward even greater heights in her career.

Now to get serious. This is the darkness that fame can bring. By the end of this article, I will be focusing on the light - on the way we all can use inspiration to change the world. But we all must be mature enough to be aware of the danger that may reside within ourselves and others.

True obsession is no joke. I am still struggling to understand why it occurs in some people to such a dangerous degree, and it makes me sad that so many who achieve their dreams of fame have to then shield themselves from the fans they love because of this unfortunate reality. I have witnessed the cursed mark of obsession in some of Lindsey’s fans. One in particular was a young person struggling in life who Lindsey sought to help. However, Lindsey’s kindness was abused to the point of belligerence and attempts to control or coerce. The entire situation was eerily similar to the story of the murderer of famed Tejano singer Selina in 1995. Yolanda Saldivar shot and killed the object of her fandom after being fired from her position as fan club president and merchandizing manager for suspected theft. Lindsey had to block this individual from her life. This is not to say that Lindsey was ever in any mortal danger, but after a certain point who could afford to take the chance?

All of us have some void to fill. That is why we need God. Some of us find other forms of goodness and spirituality to fill this void. For me, I call it Jesus. The article isn't religious in nature, but the unspoken words here are that we should never try to fill the void in our hearts with something worldly, and especially not another human being - no atter what your faith, humans and material things of this world will fail you and let you down. So look within and learn to love yourself first.

I hope to encourage others to chase their dreams with all the passion in their hearts with this article, as to me that is what Lindsey stands for. Yet we all should realize our dreams do not and should never revolve around a single achievement, and especially not a single person. The drive to succeed must come from within.

See you next time! Check out the full article here if you like. Please follow and comment: http://hightowerdreamland.com/category/media-and-interests/