Mood:
irritatedTopic: "Tiger By The Tail" (5)
Frodo is acquainted with a "Groupie." She collects autographs. Frodo knows this because, as a gift, she gave him several signatures which, she thought, would be impressive to him and perhaps someday of pecuniary value. From time-to-time Frodo fingers through his inventory noting the primary presence of professional athletes and concert performers (Frodo divulging only that the names Presley, Simpson, and Woods are absent). Most recently, he considered the collection after listening to the CBS Evening News devote twelve minutes of broadcast time to the "Confessions of Tiger Woods," at the beginning of the show.
Frodo was struck by the commentary from one of the Woods' "conquests" who noted that "Tiger" had apologized to everyone except those in her particular grouping. She attempted to relate the rehabilitation process undergone by Mr. Woods as somewhat similar to the "twelve-step process" in which those addicted to alcoholic beverages participate. Her point being that the "addict" must first apologize to everyone
Frodo has not heard anyone make the point that the "Groupies" are everywhere, and that those in public life fall to temptation due to sheer volume, at least occasionally. Frodo has often thought about the distinction between "conquest" and "gift-giving." Cocktail waitresses, at least those in the acquaintance of Mr. Woods, surely, must be blessed, because of their proclivity to instill gifts upon those with whom they can share a few moments of fame, and perhaps receive an autograph. Frodo likes to feel that, as a virtual unknown, he earned it, the old fashioned-way(regretting only that he failed to work even harder in times past).
Frodo wandered into the subject-area not because he advocates or decries the "treatment" offered the apologetic protagonist, but because he wonders about the psyche of those who see themselves as innocents in the process. Some fruit falls from the branch before it is plucked, he supposes.
Wanna bet there isn't a political message in here somewhere?
