The Bends

I heard a wonderful line on the radio the other day, and I keep thinking about it so I thought I would share it.

We all know what "The Bends" is: it is what happens to divers when they come to the surface too quickly, resulting in bubbles of nitrogen in the blood. Not nice and often fatal if not treated quickly, I understand.

Anyway, back to the radio. The person talking had been involved in show business for many years and started by saying that, way back, people used to "pay their dues", ie spend time building up their career and experience so that when the finally achieved real fame they knew how to deal with it. These days, of course, we have over-night superstars who shoot to instant fame without doing all of the hard work. This rapid rise, we were told, can cause a type of "Bends", bubbles of nitrogen in the soul.

I really like that. A quick look at the gossip magazines shows you that it is true...