Nobody calls me nobody (Back to the Future © Universal Studios)

“He was a nobody before he was a somebody,” a former NFL quarterback said, about Pat Tillman.  “And he never forgot that, he carried it with him.  That’s what made him so special.”

Well intentioned words, I must say, that nonetheless infuriated me.

I’d venture to say that there were more than just a few things that made Pat Tillman special.  But that he was a nobody before he was a somebody was not one of them.  He was always somebody, we all are.

First of all, if you allow me, nobody is a nobody.  Ever.  It’s impossible for somebody to even be nobody by the very nature of the terms.  And as rough as life gets, nobody can take away the fact that we are somebody.  We all have our worlds, some are so much smaller than others, but in our worlds every single one of us is somebody to someone, even if that person is ourselves.

A happy belated Veterans day to all those that have served or continue to serve in our Armed Forces (I forgot to mention that last night, Dad).

Categories: Creative Writing, Life, Observation

Tags: 50000, Back to the Future, creative writing, Dad, Gratitude, inspiration, life, Marty McFly, Nanowrimo, NFL, Nobody calls me chicken, Pat Tillman, perspective, stream of conscious, United States, Universal Studios, Veterans Day, Writer, writing