When I was in high school I remember getting a letter in the mail announcing that I had been chosen to appear in the Who's Who.  Me.  One of the Who's Who.  I imagined college entrance boards pulling out their well-worn copy of the guide as they sifted through thousands upon thousands of student essays.  "Mary Johnson from St. Louis...hmmm, not in the guide.  Jennie Mitchell from Cold Spring, oh yes, there she is in the guide as expected.  Let me move her paperwork at the top." 

It was with great pride and an attempt at humility that I brought the news to my parents.  "I've been asked to be in the Who's Who.  And we can even buy a copy.  You know, to have," I said, beaming. 

"Oh no, I don't think so.  That's a scam.  That doesn't mean anything," my dad told me.  Stunned, I stared at him.  How could he think it was a scam?  It was on official letterhead.  It was the Who's Who!  Our school library had one, they don't shelve scams.  "Nope" he told me, halting the dream of my name in print, bound and stacked neatly in the reference section.  I filed it away in my mental folder of all of my very important dreams my parents squashed - that time I was invited to be a Junior Miss contestant (which must have been because of my stunning beauty), or that winter I wanted to be a part of a colorguard (located in Wisconsin which would have meant driving for hours with another teenager to spend the weekends with college kids).  They just didn't get it.  They couldn't see the honor.  The opportunity.  There was nothing I could do.

So imagine my surprise this morning as I was going through the pile of mail and catalogs that Marty stacked up for me, when I found a letter addressed to ME from Who's Who.  Here it was again.  I was being recognized by the greater world for my accomplishments in, according to the letter, "leadership and achievement in their occupation, industry or profession."  Sure, I know that right now I'm only working part time.  I'm aware that my job description is "loose" and one of my tasks is getting lunch for Marty and me each day.  But I DO stuff.  I wouldn't say that I feel like a PRODUCER, but certainly I contribute.  OBVIOUSLY, because I've been asked to be a part of Who's Who.

I opened the official letter and read:


Jennie M. Nelson Jr?  Junior?  Recorded like that for all of eternity?  Might as well add my credentials to that.

Jennie M. Nelson, Jr., Dr. of Chump.