Diving into comeback pool

I have always been fascinated by the life of the late Elizabeth Taylor, the British-American actress who was one of the most glamorous and popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s.

Beyond her beauty and iconic status was a rather colourful private life, in particular her multiple marriages – eight of them in total, spanning between 1950 and 1996.

There was an even more interesting twist in her marriage trail.

In 1964, she married fellow Hollywood star and actor, Richard Burton. That was her fifth marriage.

The marriage ended in a divorce in 1974. The following year, they remarried and this time, they lasted only one year together, resulting in yet another divorce in 1976.

I have always wondered what prised them apart in the first place, reunited them one year on and then tore them apart again after yet another year.

Dilemma

Over the weekend, when a young lady I know poured her heart to me over her dilemma regarding a former boyfriend’s plea that they get back together two years after they broke apart, my mind could not help but drift itself towards Elizabeth Taylor’s situation.

Of course, I did tell not her about that story because I wanted her to make up her own mind looking at her own situation, and in any event I am sure there have been remarriages that have worked out just fine.

I hope she makes the right decision.

Beyond Elizabeth Taylor and the young lady, I also felt my mind drifting lazily towards the whole business of comebacks in all shapes and forms.

Basically, when it is all over and the curtain comes down, is it always advisable to rekindle and try to resuscitate what is anchored in the past?

Or can there be a spectacular comeback from hell or purgatory, defying conventional gravity and which then goes on to soar through the roof and make an impact?

Sports

The sporting world provides some of the most fascinating scenarios of comebacks attempts, with some ending in spectacular success whilst others have been monumental failures.

In international football, players such as Paul Scholes (Manchester United), Henry Thierry (Arsenal) and Didier Drogba (Chelsea) enjoyed spectacular returns to their old clubs, whilst for Wayne Rooney (Everton) and Kaka (AC Milan), it was a disastrous return.

In golf, perhaps the most famous story is that of Tiger Woods, whose sterling career took a mighty hit with the confluence of several problems, and yet he managed to shake them off and climb right back to the top of his game.

International boxing has also seen some remarkable comeback stories, featuring greats such as George Foreman and Sugar Ray Robinson at a point.

For Mohammed Ali, Mike Tyson and Joe Louis ,however, it was not a particularly happy comeback and they simply went downhill.

In other sports, Bjorn Borg (tennis), Lance Armstrong (Cycling) and Ben Johnson (athletics) all failed to reclaim their glory when they attempted to, whilst Michael Phelps (swimming), Sebastian Coe (athletics), Michael Jordan (basketball) and Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce (athletics) all enjoyed inspirational comebacks.

Entertainment

In the quicksand of the rather volatile and brittle international celebrity market, acclaimed actors Marlon Brando, Alec Baldwin and the singer Shania Twain all managed to relaunch themselves successfully after a spat out of the limelight, whilst it was not all sweetness and light for actors Steven Segal, Kevin Costner, Eddie Murphy and Sharon Stone.

The multiple award-winner and singing sensation, the late Whitney Houston had quite a bit of a struggle flying again after a series of personal troubles.

On the local scene, Clement Bonney, the actor better known as ‘Mr. Beautiful’, appears to have experienced some cold shoulders in the sector as he tried to make a comeback to the screen after a few years of absence.

Apparently, he alluded to throw his decision to throw his weight behind the NDC’s 2012 and 2016 election campaign as the reason.

On the other hand, seasoned musicians such as Kojo Antwi, Daddy Lumba and Amakye Dede seem to continue to enjoy a lifelong love affair with their fans because when they show up on the radar after a some absence, there are whoops of delight in the fan base.

Political comebacks

On the international political stage, men such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Winston Churchill enjoyed power at a point, then went through a downward spiral.

They then managed to haul themselves from the bottom of the political barrel, stage a spectacular comeback, climb to glory and secure a place in history.

On the African continent, I can think of President Mattieu Kerekou of Benin, who seized power in 1972, lost elections in 1991 during transition to democracy and then came back in 1996 to win the presidency in the general election.

On the Ghanaian political scene, Jerry Rawlings gave up power after three months in office and came back to reclaim it in a rather brazen manner.

The man he handed over power to in 1979 and overthrew after 27 months, Dr. Hilla Limann, later attempted a comeback in the 1992 election and received a paltry 6.7 per cent of the presidential vote for his efforts.

Of course, one cannot talk of political comeback efforts in the 4th Republic without mentioning former President Mahama, who has so far been unsuccessful in reclaiming the presidency, which he lost in 2016.

There is no doubt in many minds that he will make another attempt in 2024. We wait to see how it pans out this time round.

Mixed bag

A comeback attempt is necessarily a risky adventure with no certain outcome. Even if successful, it is unlikely to be the same as the status quo of the past.

After all, even the ultimate comeback, Second Coming of Jesus Christ, will be different in shape, form and outcome.

But what is the point of life if one is not prepared to dance ‘borborbor’ on a precipice every now and then, take a brazenly bold plunge into the past to try to fish out some redemption and reclaim one’s dignity, pride and apogee?

Say what you like of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, but they had chutzpah.

I hope my young lady friend makes the right choice in response to her ex-boyfriend’s plea for a comeback.

Rodney Nkrumah-Boateng
E-mail: rodboat@yahoo.com