The Vanity of Google

Charlie's friend Liam googled his own name and found references to someone who lived and died some years ago. Charlie was fascinated, so they all gathered around the computer and asked me google their names.

Charlie went first, and he was extremely amused by all the hits: a police juror, a dentist, an Arizona State football player. But the coolest was when his own grandfather and namesake, Dr. Charles Mackey, came up as a hit, complete with a picture, from his medical practice's website.

Next came Sarah: an award-winning librarian in Ohio, a gymnast, a strategist for the BBC, a woman born in Pennsylvania in 1816 and another born in 1784, and a University of Chicago Law School alumna mother of twins.

Then it was Allison's turn: a professor a Georgetown, an HR Director at a corporation, a photographer, and an author.

David's was really fun, although he personally wasn't a bit interested. There was an NHL player, a Christian blogger, an Australian ophthalmology professor, an architect, and a video game afficionado.

Then they asked me to google my name, so I did. We found a navy lieutenant and a runner, but then we found an article that I had co-authored several years ago about the value of environmental responsibility to businesses. The kids were very impressed that their own mother actually came up on google!

Given this digital age, it is only a matter of time before the hits on their names will actually be these children, be it for swim meet results or sports league rosters or school accomplishments. But for now, it's cool enough to see the hockey players, the gymnasts, the professors and the librarians, and dream about how many of these things they will be when they grow up.