The Strangest Things
I’ve been a community organizer for almost 20 years even though I’m not exactly sure if I still am or even what that means. But, I still claim it. I’ve done the work in five states, with the bulk being done in Birmingham, Alabama. We’ve lost more than we won and made more mistakes than what we got right. We’ve done the right thing for the wrong reasons and the wrong thing for the right reasons. I do have a level of fame and that’s what I want to reflect on.
A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I and some friends went to Brewfest in Montgomery, Alabama. I got recognized by a stranger. It was the first time that it had happened in a number of years, since I’d been in Birmingham almost three years ago. It happened in Birmingham all the time.
The first couple of times you get recognized, it’s a lot of fun. Who wouldn’t want to be acknowledged for the work that you’ve done, right? The interactions get strange, though. The weirdest thing is that the people you encounter, who are usually really nice and gracious, know a ton about you, but you know absolutely nothing about them. Your mind goes to weird places, but you block it out and just say thank you and invite them to come work with the organization. We’ve gotten a couple of good team members this way. Sometimes, though, you just want to enjoy your dinner with friends and family in peace. You don’t want what is honestly a pretty stressful interaction.
I think a lot of this is exacerbated by social media where people can get really popular in fairly limited circles. It’s not that hard to achieve some level of fame and notoriety this day and age and some folks are drawn to it like flies to a light bulb. I’m not. Fame sucks. I get that it’s part of the job, but I’d rather just have anonymous conversations in the shop or on my porch with people who are more comfortable being out front. Some people love it, some people get used to it, and some people hate it and will never get used to it. I’m the latter.