Paying it forward

The Alone Girl yearned to give back in some way. Not so much because she’d taken advantage of programs available as a youth, but in spite of them. The Girl had never been much of a joiner. And, honestly, there were few programs available when she was growing up.

Thankfully, literature offered the Girl a reprieve from some of the stress and responsibility of her life. After several attempts at publishing novels, she managed to hit the mother lode. That success paved the way for her to give back.

A writer’s life is solitary, but in a happy way. One is alone with the thoughts that stomp and rage through one’s conscious and subconscious minds. Harnessing them in a meaningful way is the true test of a writer’s skill. After repeated attempts, the Alone Girl wrote about what she knew best…challenges and what they do to one’s soul. It wasn’t that she wanted to “bare” it all for recognition, she hoped that what she wrote would help at least one other person understand and cope with what life had wrought.

Now the Girl was ready to pay it forward, to help other young people find a niche. And she was ready to do it in her own unique way. The Girl was a dreamer from her early existence. She yearned for opportunities to enrich the lives of others, to create practical learning experiences, to leave a legacy so there would be fewer Alone “Kids.”

And it was slowly taking shape. Over the years, she had developed her dream and put her ideas on paper. Her burgeoning literary success allowed her to create specific visions and definitive business plans. The trade off would be having to become more involved publicly. While this was not an idea that caused her comfort, it was not a high price to pay for illuminating her dream.

Though she created the dream, it could not be carried out in a bubble. It would require assistance from the rest of the “village.” It was not in her nature to ask for help, but ask she did. The response was staggering.

“If you build it, they will come.” Field of Dreams

“You better – lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go (go)
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime”. Lose Yourself by Eminem

N.B. The Alone Girl knows she has the same odds of winning the lottery as she does writing a smash novel, but she knows dreams may come true. She’s also playing the lottery.