Celebrities Among Us

A creative writing piece

One of the most enjoyable parts about life is having the opportunity to interact with different people on a daily basis from all different walks of life. Over the years, I have had the privilege of meeting a variety of adults and children who speak different languages, come from different cultures and migrate from all different parts of the world. Throughout our conversations, I often get asked a variety of questions ranging from who my favorite sports team is, what my political beliefs are, why I put ketchup on my pasta and how come “Love Actually” is the most watched movie on my Netflix account. This past summer, I met a precious child in Sarasota, Fla., who caught me off guard when he asked me, “Who is the most famous person you have ever met?” And this question really got me thinking because I have met Derek Jeter, Donald Trump, Carrie Underwood, McGruff the Crime Dog, Marshall Mathers and even Susannah McMonagle. I ended up telling the young man that his parents were the most famous people I had ever met, and we all smiled and laughed.

However, this young man’s question got me thinking, and it occurred to me that we are surrounded by fame. We fly into an airport named after Ronald Reagan, we pass monuments dedicated to Abraham Lincoln and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and we walk into buildings with portraits and writings of even more famous people. We are surrounded by fame each and every day, and it is easy to forget that although those people made contributions to our country, the people who built and continue to build this great nation are the ordinary hard-working men and women who lead quiet lives of courage and compassion. These are average folks doing above average things and ordinary folks doing extraordinary things. And while these men and women may not have statues built for them, huge bank accounts or large amounts of Twitter followers, these people have something greater than that: a legacy.

These men and women are leaders in the community, volunteers at the local church and loving parents or spouses who know the difference between right and wrong. These men and women know it is more important to lead by example than to lead by words. These men and women carry the Word of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ everywhere they go by choosing to put the interests of others before their own. They know it is more important to live a sermon than to preach one. And, if you ask me, I cannot think of a better way to be remembered. Therefore, I hope we can all pay tribute and recognize the loved ones in our lives who fit this mold and who remind us how much impact an “ordinary citizen” can have. And the next time a child asks me who the most famous person I have ever met is, I will tell them it’s you.