Coat Tails

Arlo Guthrie sang, “In the event of my demise, be sure to include this statement, Only the words of love kept alive, are worthy of not being wasted.”
It seems to me those words are worth holding on to.  Even though Arlo is someplace I’d rather not go these days, it does not make all he has said invalid.
Arlo Guthrie had a famous dad.  Woody Guthrie was a famous poet and really a spokesperson for his generation.  I have no doubt Arlo inherited some of his genes.  To me, it is a little like Julian Lennon.  His dad Paul was a famous Beatle.
The point for me is, no matter how famous my forbears were, they can never guarantee my success.  I sorta saw it earlier like a ticket to a concert costing $40 (I know I’m dreaming, as tickets to see famous acts these days can cost hundreds.)  In this scenario, Woody could not say, “I have $100 dollars here for a ticket for me and Arlo.”
My success or otherwise is built on what I do, not someone else’s reputation.  Kerry Packer seemed successful.  James seems to struggle.
I have a number of albums by a guy called Phil Keaggy (that really dates me).  He was considered by his peers as one of the best guitarists in the world.  I then heard of someone called Cherri Keaggy.  Having the same last name peeked my interest.  It turns out she was distantly related to Phil.  I listened to some of her albums and bought them.  I did not buy them because of her dad, I bought them because I like her music.
We are fond of saying “they are responsible for their own actions.”  Truth is, they are.  We all are.  Though of course these days there is a tendency to put actions at the feet of everything but the person. “It was their genes, it was their upbringing, it was their environment.”  Basically it was everything but them.  (It is interesting to me that people who espouse reincarnation were always nobility or a prominent person in a past life.  I am yet to hear someone say something like “oh I was a peasant in Lancashire that eked out a living.”)
Certainly good genes, upbringing and environment help.  A good start is important.  But a good start guarantees nothing.  It is what I do with what I’ve got that matters.  It is probably why I am fond of the saying that consists totally of two letter words. “If it is to be, it is up to me.”