Thread by @FBillMcMorris

I've never told this to anyone before, but here goes.
Picture me, an 8 year old kid. Now picture Norm MacDonald: top of the world. On SNL, already achieving legend status on Weekend Update
No reason he should care about some 2nd grader, right? Well listen, because (1/8)

(2/8) Norm was the type to care. My father took me into midtown Manhattan because he met a guy at a bar who said he worked at NBC and could easily get tickets to SNL.

I was in 2nd grade, not even old enough to stay up to watch SNL. But the second my father had an in he

(3/8) jumped at the chance to get tickets. He explained that what we were going to may not mean much to me now. But some day, I'd look back and thank God that I had been able to be in that audience.

Looking back today, I now know exactly what he meant.

(4/8) We showed up at 30 Rock—like I knew the address—and I had butterflies in my stomach. I don't know why they were there. Had no idea what I was experiencing. I just knew that something big was going to happen even if I had no clue what it was I was supposed to be nervous

(5/8) about. Back then once you got inside for the taping—this was pre-9/11—30 Rock was relatively open. You could catch the stars in the hallways. It was up to my dad to spot them since again I wouldn't have known an SNL bigshot from Adam.

This enraged

(6/8) My dad. Every time he pointed to an SNL celebrity, the most famous people on the planet, I met his enthusiasm with a blank stare. You could see his face getting redder, especially when the SNL stars were so gracious. My ignorance looked like insolence and it bothered the

(7/8) the Hell out of my dad. At one point Tim Meadows came up all ready to sign an autograph and I sat there obviously indifferent to who he was—you could see him give my dad the side eye as he walked in.

Only one person—you can guess who—grasped why this awkward, tooth-less

(8/8) 2nd grader was blushing, why his wrist grew purple as his dad's grip grew tighter as Dad apologized to SNL stars for his son's ignorance.

Only Norm saw what was going on. He kneeled down & said "Say kid, someday when I die, you have my permission to make it all about you"

"Say kid, if people attach themselves to my memory, are you going to use it for yourself or maybe some Marine's widow and the baby he'll never meet?"

Fine, Norm. If you insist on calling out a 2nd grader...
gofundme.com/f/7cj7x-plane-…