Age and shifting awareness

Oh, dear.  One of the consequences of aging is that you cease to keep up with who the celebrities of the moment are.  It is not necessarily a conscious decision, you just begin to encounter names which you don't recognize and then discover they have been famous for being famous for a few years and you never even noticed.

Thank goodness for Google, always shedding some light on the goofier side of society.  At least I can know why I ought to know (or not) whoever the celebrity is.

But there is a sad aging progression.

You begin to encounter the situations where you look up one celebrity name and you discover they are married to another celebrity.  Whom you also do not know.

Today marked yet a further new milestone in aging.

One of my go to moves has been to search for a picture of the unknown celebrity on the internet.  As often as not, I do recognize their picture, I just don't know what they are famous for.

A few minutes ago I came across Sheryl Crow doing something people are commenting on.  Sheryl Crow?  I recognize the name but I don't know what for.  Singer?  Actress?  Other?  I am drawing a blank.

I search for a picture - Uh oh.  Not only do I not know why she is a celebrity, I don't even recognize her.  Apparently she is most famous as a singer.  

Hmm.  

There is a compensating progression though.  While I may be losing touch with the population of celebrities, it is made up for a deepening knowledge about others whom warrant attention.  I am far more aware and knowledgeable about historical figures now than I was as a youth when my knowledge of celebrities probably peaked.  

I may not be especially aware now of Sheryl Crow but I am much more familiar with Søren

Kierkegaard than I would have been in younger days.  Perhaps not the best epistemic trade, but not bad.