Q4.

                There are and have been a lot of people on earth. In fact, that number is in the high billions. Few of them have achieved fame, but even fewer of them have achieved the status of iconic. So what does it mean to be an icon, and how does one earn that status?

                According to dictionary.com, an icon is something or someone that is regarded as a symbol of something else. I think of an icon as someone who changed society in one way or another. To me, an icon does not necessarily have to be a good role model. He or she just has to remind me of something they did or stand for. Take Nelson Mandela for example. This man spent 27 years of his life in a South African prison because of his beliefs about human rights. Now go type “human rights” into Google. I guarantee that you will find either a picture or article about him. Next type in “space exploration” and you will find something about Lance Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin. Why? Because they were the very first people to set foot on the moon. The moon is 238,900 miles away from Earth. Before July 16, 1969, people would have thought you were crazy if you said that we would put a person on the moon. These men helped change the way society thinks about space travel.

                An icon is not some over-rated celebrity who starts a dumb trend on Facebook or goes out and wears an outfit made out of meat because she wants attention (or is just into that kind of stuff). No, a person becomes iconic through hard work and action. Is it safe to say that anybody can be an icon? No; but who knows, maybe you or me could become one.