Standing in the Hall of Fame

Nobody notices that which is ordinary... at least not right away.




My favourite puzzles have  always been the ones where you have to spot the difference. Naturally I've had fun times playing a personal mental version in my classes since initially all the students, or rather most of them, looked the same to me.  Eight months in though, I've realised that is definitely far from the truth.  Of course some kids stood out right away.  Those who were louder (or quieter), those who wanted to answer all the questions (or tried to dodge eye contact because they didn't want to answer any question).  There were some who, though the haircuts are chiefly same, tried to add some pizzazz to the way they arranged it; and very soon they became "the one who wears three hair pins" or "the one with two pony tails" (or no ponytail); or "the one without a bang".  There was also "the one with the cushion on his chair" or "the one with the potato chips back pack".  I've eventually come to recognise the differences in most of my students, many still however "disappear" into obscurity.

I always wanted to standout - be well known (on my own terms of course - don't think I want the part of people going through my trash or peeking through my window).  Ironically, I got to come to perhaps the most homogeneous country in the world to be the most different, as being one of a handful of black people in my town gives me some amount of popularity LOL.  I remember meeting a lady and during the conversation she said "I think I saw you once before at the mall...a few months ago".  Now maybe that lady did in fact see me and her memory is great, but I stiffled a laugh at her comment because  what I think she meant is  she'd seen a black woman so it must've been me.
The fact I am Jamaican too is added flavour LOL Wi get nuff ratings ennuh (though I continue to disappoint by not being able to do any of the top things for which Jamaicans are often known - run fast, cook well and dance) #disgrace

Naturally I'd want my fame to stem from something I actually had control of LOL but "we play with the toys the gods give us" (Troy 2004) so until I finally write that best seller, I'm gonna work with being inadvertently famous.  

Still, regardless of popularity (or the lack thereof), we each can choose to be our own biggest fans, for in the grand scheme it doesn't matter if the world doesn't know our names.