Where Everybody Knows Your Name

This post is a part of the Five Minute Friday link up. We write for 5 minutes on a one-word prompt without heavy editing and see what we come up with. You can check out all the other posts in the link up by clicking “link up” above. Today’s prompt is “name.”

In the early 80’s through the early 90’s there was a popular American TV show called “Cheers.” The show followed the lives of several patrons and workers in a bar by that name. The chorus of the theme song struck me given today’s prompt.

“Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same
You want to be where everybody knows your name.”

“Where Everybody Knows Your Name,” performed by Gary Portnoy theme song to the hit TV show “Cheers.”

People just want to be seen. They want to be known. They don’t want to be categorized or labeled or stereotyped. My desire to be known goes beyond that, though, to an unhealthy desire to be famous that I have to fight continually.

My name is Stephanie Claire Allan, and when I married, I added my husband’s name, Reeves. In my writing, I often use both my maiden name and my married name so that people who knew me before will recognize me. I want people to know my name.

Recently, I got a Twitter notification that Tim Keller had started following me. Whaat? I was astonished, thrilled, amazed, that someone famous like Tim Keller would follow little ol’ me on Twitter.

Until a friend pointed out that it was a fake account and not the real Tim Keller.

Well, thanks for bursting my prideful bubble!

I can laugh at that now, and I laughed then, but I thought it would be so cool to be known by someone who is themselves well known. It was a big, albeit very short-lived, ego boost for me. And my personality type really struggles with wanting to be in the limelight. If you’re famous and I stand close enough to you, some of that light might just shine on me as well.

But the fact is, I’m not likely to be famous, and I really hope I’m never infamous! But the God of the universe knows my name. And walking in His light is way better than any spotlight of fleeting fame.

 

 

Cheers image from IMDB.com