As I was checking email last night, my almost 13 year old daughter came and sat next to me.  As she skimmed the names in my inbox, she gasped and asked how I knew a certain superstar.  I reviewed my emails and realized she had misread the name in her anticipation of excitement.  No, I wasn’t communicating with a superstar, but the person still was someone of interest to me.

Thinking about fame and my daughter’s reaction, I understand how intriguing it would be for her if I knew someone who was wildly famous.  However, while I may not work with superstars, I do work with an assortment of people who are amazing in their own rights:  esteemed doctors, award-winning chefs, innovative entrepreneurs.  For me, what makes a person intriguing is who he or she is and his or her projects or careers.  Although some of the people I meet may be famous only within their community or their company, it isn’t their popularity that makes the person worth interviewing.  The talents and personality that this person possess are what I find of interest.

This week some of our articles highlight individuals, each of whom has a different degree of fame.  Starting with the most famous of the four is a remembrance of Dale Earnhardt.  The second is a review of the new book co-written by Captain Sullenberger.  The third is a cookie recipe that honors one of the presidents of lesser fame, Zachary Taylor.  The fourth is someone who fits into my the intriguing but not necessarily famous category, Margaret Hammill, creator of To Die For Dips. Each of these four people is known for different reasons, but each is interesting in his or her own way, as I’m sure you’ll discover when you read the articles.