Susan Boyle's Youtube video of her performance just registered 19,698,676 hits as i am writing. She was jeered, as we remember, but 6 seconds into the song, her dream came true and the audience gave her the due respect - another ugly duckling being transformed. Of course, if anyone follows Britain's Got Talent, one would remember Paul Potts and even before that, then 6-year-old Connie Talbot.
All these success stories fuelled votes for the participants and provided fodder for parents, teachers, corporate trainers and those in the business of providing instant jabs in the arms of the world who is hungry for inspiration and for some sunshine in this gloomy global scenario.
Why is the world hankering for such personalities? Here's my perspective:
1. It's the classic ugly-duckling-to-beautiful-swan story. Happy ending we all love. Especially during a bleak, pessimistic, belt-tightening economic crisis.
2. It's the Slumdog story, reprised: A church-worker; a car-handphone salesman, and the likes - didn't have the good looks but have substance and content. A treasure found; the world rejoices.
3. The world needs success stories now. Period.
Miss Pig the Ballet Dancer and Rose - made entirely from Jumping Clay
