I was talking with a co-worker earlier about some procedures, and what to do in X situation, mostly trying to impart some of my experience on the job, when he came across an official procedures document, that apparently mentioned me in it. Upon examination I found some things I had written when, for lack of a better word, bugging the procedures in the first place. Apparently the people in charge of said procedures and programs, decided to just lift my notes whole and use them. Looking at the document, all my notes showed no bad intentions were in mind when they did so, on the contrary this only enforced a most positive view of me. But what it really did was remind me, that although I've never been the "Cool" or the "Popular" person, I've also been the person most remembered and respected.
The co-worker also enforced this ego by then saying "You're a celebrity and didn't even know it"
My only comment was, "That seems to happen a lot"
I mean, growing up, I'd somehow get my picture in the paper, not as the focus or sole person highlighted in the article, but instead usually with a group of people, or about some project going on. It was rarely with the same people either, but instead it was as if I was riding some human interest wave, from one project to the next. Bouncing between the local newspaper, to the school paper, to the state paper and back. And every time, my name would wind up in the article, and people would notice.
I unconsciously tried side stepping this unintentional "be the story" by joining journalism my last year in high school. I figured, if I wrote the paper, I wouldn't be the paper. Unfortunately, because I didn't concentrate fully on writing, and instead still did a lot of other things my senior year, from founding a NJROTC at my school, to doing a stint as a page for the State House of Representatives, I still ended up in other people's articles. Also of course in an article about the school newspaper, so there was no escaping it there.
Finally I did leave most of the evident very minor celebrity status behind when I went off to college, only to begin a new quasi-very minor celebrity adventure, but having my name show up in the oddest of places, years after I'd left jobs in some cases, because when I left, I usually left a place better, with a bit more understanding, and apparently quite a bit of respect.
Thus, whenever I'm reminded of this unintentional life I lead, I'm glad to know that although I'm not famous as the world knows famous. Instead I'm famous in the way I want to know famous, as the cog that made a difference, and was proud of it