SOPHIA: A DOWN-TO-EARTH CELEBRITY

More than a decade ago, I happened to share a flat with a Tanzanian High Court judge’s son. Knowing how publicity-shy he is, I better keep his name to myself. Call me 'old-fashioned' who’s never had  opportunity to mingle with the famous. You could be right, but I always believe in a saying that “beauty should never be imprisoned”, meaning that we should never fail to acknowledge some of  good experiences we come across in others, especially when “others” stands for the famous, celebrities and the likes.

Recently, I have had a similar experience, though not of sharing same flat with someone who’s famous. On my usual “visits” to Facebook, I met Sophia Kessy, a Clouds FM radio presenter. We had never chatted before although she had been my Facebook friend for quite a while. Chatting to her, I could not resist admiring how down to earth she was. Of course, you wouldn’t fail to notice how wise and intelligent she is if you pay close attention to her educational and motivational quotes on her Facebook wall.

“Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you either. You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it”. That was her latest quote posted on her wall a few minutes ago before I decided that I should write something about her. I would definitely put my money on her had there been a competition in Facebook on who writes “most sensible stuffs” on their walls.

What Sophia proves is, being a celebrity should not necessarily mean being big-headed, pompous, unapproachable or inaccessible to the normal people. Some celebrities tend to forget that their fame is a product of the same people they avoid or ignore. The good thing about mingling with the “normal people” is not only creating a solid and true fan base but also learning from them. As we know, sometimes fame forces people to act- smiling when they are not happy or crying when they not sorry-especially when the camera is around. For that matter, being surrounded with fellow celebrities or famous people make it hard for one to sincerely know if all is what it seems.

Big up &Keep it up, Sophia. And let’s hope our ever growing army of celebrities will take a leaf from your sensible, charming and down-to-earth personality.