In a world where queens pretended to be peasants, and peasants pretended to be Queens, it is not surprising that little Marie Rodgers wanted to be famous.

“What do you want to be famous for Marie?” asked Grandad Trent.”

“That is a good question Papa. I guess I should decide what I do NOT want to be first, huh?”
“Ha! You are wise beyond your ten years Marie.”

“Ten and a HALF actually. Months matter when you are ten!”

“Oh my Dear, believe me, they matter just as much when you have eighty years of them too.”

“Well then I guess that we agree that ALL years matter huh Papa?”

“Oh they do. But I’d say that the first thing that you must do to get ready to be famous, is to make sure that you have a wonderful autograph.”

“Do you have a wonderful autograph Papa?”

“Since I am NOT famous, I don’t need one.”
“I want to be ready, so I’m going to start practicing. How about if I always write “Thank You” first and then a fancy M and a fancy T further on?”

“Well I think that would be great. After all, it is people that make you famous, and you want them to stay fans.” Marie was quiet for a while. Papa Trent had seen her do that many times when she was thinking, so he just smiled and waited.

Finally, she looked at her Grandad and said “I was thinking.”
“I have seen you think before.”
“Ha! You’re funny! You can’t really see people think…can you?”

“Not everybody…just you.”

“Suppose I get really famous and everywhere that I go, even to India, people line up for my autograph, and I sign some. Then others run over just because somebody tells them that I’m famous, and they all want my autograph too…because everybody else has one! I could be there for hours, lots of people live in India you know, and by the time I finish signing, my hand hurts really bad and it’s nighttime and I didn’t even get to see India!”

“Well, that COULD happen if you get famous enough Marie.”

Marie went into her thinking mode again, and Papa just smiled and waited.

Finally…Marie put her arm through her Papa’s and said, “Let’s just go for a nice long walk together for the rest of the afternoon while we have the chance, because we won’t be able to, after I get famous!”