With all the celebrity golfers in town for the PGA tournament, I’ve been thinking about what makes a person feel like he or she has finally achieved success. With sports figures, is it winning a particular game, a gold medal, a superbowl ring? Or is it winning a particular number of events? For movie stars, is it winning an Oscar or not being able to walk out of the house without being stalked by the paparazzi?

As a crossword puzzle fan, my idea of celebrity is when your name is used as a clue or an answer in the NY Times crossword puzzle. To me, that says everyone in the world (or at least everyone who reads the NY Times) must know your name. For example, on Aug. 1, one of the across clues was “women’s soccer star Wambach.” The answer, of course, was “Abby.” For anyone from Rochester, that was a no-brainer, but it’s placement in the crossword presupposes a wider recognition than Upstate New York.

So, Abby, if you ever happen to stumble upon this blog, know that you have made it. Never mind the Olympic medals or the record setting number of goals, your name was in the NY Times crossword. You have arrived!