I feel old.
Physically, I’m young. But when I realize that the shows I loved as a kid are “retro” today, and that some of them haven’t been on the air for the past 15 years (except in syndication), I get the nagging urge to buy some ribbon candy and listen to old records on my gramophone.
It doesn’t help that one of the touchstones of the Saturday morning TV block (which doesn’t exist anymore, another sign of age) has been stirring up a lukewarm bit of controversy. Or more precisely, Screech from Saved By The Bell is trying to ruin my childhood.
Dustin Diamond doesn’t have it out for me personally. But when he decided to ditch out on the cast reunion, I had to wonder what’s changed for him.
In this 2002 interview, Diamond seemed to have made peace with his child star past. But his attitudes in recent years have soured. When he came to perform at my university in 2007, he became upset and enraged when people would shout out his character’s name or mention the show. Then again, he’s gone on to follow the former child star path pretty well over the past few years (reality TV, adult film, tell-all book).
Whatever you may feel about his post-SBTB pursuits, Diamond’s actions are an exaggeration of a more common affliction found in those with a fear of being pigeonholed in a certain role, destined to only be remembered for one thing. And while it’s important to have marketable skills, especially some sort of specialized ones, it’s vital that you not let yourself become defined by those skills.
Rather, you need to continue to cultivate and evolve your professional image and, if possible, continue on the successful path that you’ve started. Your past experiences have helped shape who you are, but if you let them control you, for good or bad, you will never be able to move on to greater acclaim and success.
If you read Diamond’s old interview, it seemed that he was content with becoming well-known in the chess world and was happy to have the chance to establish himself musically. Instead, he has chosen to regress to what made him popular in the worst way possible. When dealing with your professional image and personal brand, you should only use your past as a springboard to the future, not a crutch to hamper your development.
If you want to see a positive example of reconciling your past with your current life and projects, take a look at what another Bayside alum did.
