Deb— The topic of your workshop at the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat this fall could be: “How to take a garage sale pillow and turn into a beautiful column. Pillow: 50 cents. Column: Priceless.
What started as a daydream is now reaching and connecting Iowans from river to river. I am so grateful to you, Deb, and all the daydreams we've shared. To many more.
I won't quit my daydream, with even better reasons than why I didn't quit my day job back in my younger days. While employment provides financial security, daydreams provide so much more. Passion and purpose and unseen security. It seems so much more fulfilling. And I am thankful for you and Story Summit to guide along the way. It's a partnership, way better than any connection I had at a job!
I love that..."While employment provides financial security, daydreams provide so much more." Amen to that, Lina! I'm so grateful for our partnership. xoxoxo
Hi, Deb, I think I'm most interested, in answer to your question, in reading about how to pull the deep roots of hopelessness up from the center of one's emotional/psychological/spiritual earth. How to completely and permanently overcome the demon of hopelessness.
My daydream was to make a difference in the world, from the time my mother shared church magazines with stories about poverty and people helping.
In 1977, at age 28, doing participatory community development in a village in Egypt, I was asked to start a preschool, with village women leading it. By the end of a year, they had become literate and were running their own preschool. I realized I had done what I was supposed to do with my life already at 28, and had to ask “what do I do now?”
I continued to work with tools of authentic participation, facilitating all kinds of groups and training others to do it.
At age 75, I am still actively mentoring group process facilitators and my third book on the topic will be published in September. Not bad for a western Iowa farm girl!
BTW, after 45 years there is still a preschool in that Egyptian village, run by village women!
Kudos to you!! You made that daydream a reality at such a young age. What a gift that you've gone on to fulfill many, many more dreams and have helped so many people along the way. Thank you for sharing this!
I love the message on the 50 cent pillow! Don't quit your daydream! :) Yes, fear does step in. and I've wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl when I finally learned to read and write properly! :) I wrote stories and about everything. Why has it taken so long for this daydream to come true or even come close to it? I am still attempting to figure that out. I mean, life does get in the way, but still! Oh yeah, I'm working and it's 3:25 am. but I needed to answer this one!
This post has been in my to-read queue for… too long! It meant a lot to me today, especially since I’m fresh out of the OWR experience (which included your panel on Monday morning)!
Loved the details of your surroundings. I could see the farmer in his cap, and imagine the woman who had likely used those dishes and bric-a-brac.
My daydream is to write and publish a collection of essays/ columns/ something along those lines! And I’d be lying if I didn’t add the daydream of finding love again after divorce, as well. Thanks for this post and your teaching and encouragement for all of us with daydreams at OWR.
Deb— The topic of your workshop at the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat this fall could be: “How to take a garage sale pillow and turn into a beautiful column. Pillow: 50 cents. Column: Priceless.
What started as a daydream is now reaching and connecting Iowans from river to river. I am so grateful to you, Deb, and all the daydreams we've shared. To many more.
I won't quit my daydream, with even better reasons than why I didn't quit my day job back in my younger days. While employment provides financial security, daydreams provide so much more. Passion and purpose and unseen security. It seems so much more fulfilling. And I am thankful for you and Story Summit to guide along the way. It's a partnership, way better than any connection I had at a job!
I love that..."While employment provides financial security, daydreams provide so much more." Amen to that, Lina! I'm so grateful for our partnership. xoxoxo
Hi, Deb, I think I'm most interested, in answer to your question, in reading about how to pull the deep roots of hopelessness up from the center of one's emotional/psychological/spiritual earth. How to completely and permanently overcome the demon of hopelessness.
Thank you, Gabrielle. xoxoxo
One of my favorite columns of all time…not surprising that it’s from one of my favorite writers!
My daydream was to make a difference in the world, from the time my mother shared church magazines with stories about poverty and people helping.
In 1977, at age 28, doing participatory community development in a village in Egypt, I was asked to start a preschool, with village women leading it. By the end of a year, they had become literate and were running their own preschool. I realized I had done what I was supposed to do with my life already at 28, and had to ask “what do I do now?”
I continued to work with tools of authentic participation, facilitating all kinds of groups and training others to do it.
At age 75, I am still actively mentoring group process facilitators and my third book on the topic will be published in September. Not bad for a western Iowa farm girl!
BTW, after 45 years there is still a preschool in that Egyptian village, run by village women!
Kudos to you!! You made that daydream a reality at such a young age. What a gift that you've gone on to fulfill many, many more dreams and have helped so many people along the way. Thank you for sharing this!
I love the message on the 50 cent pillow! Don't quit your daydream! :) Yes, fear does step in. and I've wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl when I finally learned to read and write properly! :) I wrote stories and about everything. Why has it taken so long for this daydream to come true or even come close to it? I am still attempting to figure that out. I mean, life does get in the way, but still! Oh yeah, I'm working and it's 3:25 am. but I needed to answer this one!
This post has been in my to-read queue for… too long! It meant a lot to me today, especially since I’m fresh out of the OWR experience (which included your panel on Monday morning)!
Loved the details of your surroundings. I could see the farmer in his cap, and imagine the woman who had likely used those dishes and bric-a-brac.
My daydream is to write and publish a collection of essays/ columns/ something along those lines! And I’d be lying if I didn’t add the daydream of finding love again after divorce, as well. Thanks for this post and your teaching and encouragement for all of us with daydreams at OWR.