Baby, Remember my Name

Every year my students read the poem Famous by Naomi Shihab Nye, a poem which redefines the whole concept of fame, ending with the lines

I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous,
or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular,
but because it never forgot what it could do.

I always ask the kids to say what they would like to be famous for, and their answers are always amazing. Here are a few from our conversation today:

I want to be famous as the sidekick, still helping, but not in the spotlight 

I want to be famous like the sun, not to be popular but to inspire people.

I want to be famous like a caterpillar, it grows into a butterfly when the time is right.

I want to be famous for helping others, not because I had to, but because I could.

I wish to be famous to the fans
standing and clapping in awe after what happened that night

I want to be famous like the wind to a boat, drifting them along, and filling their sail.

I want to be famous for carrying the ocean on my shoulders.
To do what I can do to be strong.

I want to be famous like the drumSteady, strong, and the living, breathing beat.

I want to be famous to the hidden, teaching them who is safe

I want to be famous like music Not for the publicity or terrible fame But for the joy it brings to others

I want to be famous for my art passionate and impossible to perfect