|
 riting Contest
Be the Star You Are! 2008 FIFTH Annual NATIONAL Essay Contest
WE HAVE OUR WINNERS, AND IT'S A TIE!
Tied for
FIRST PLACE are Maggie DiGiovanni and T. L. Cooper
Honorable
Mention:
-
Pam
Lewis
-
Shirley
Cheng
-
Davis
Lunsford
-
Joyce
Mason
-
Carol
Ayers
-
Audrey Maurer
HERE ARE THE WINNING
ESSAYS:
Journaling for Life
by
Maggie DiGiovanni
Our
daughter, Jaimie, born with Down’s Syndrome, turned our world upside down.
My husband and I found ways to cope and face the many situations her special
life would demand from us. I turned to writing as I had done since
meticulously printing my first short story at age ten. Over the years, the
good and bad poured from my pen onto paper until the computer came into
vogue at our home. It became the master of storage holding every word put
into its charge when my heart ached or overflowed with happiness.
Journaling sorted out words from six doctors to make them manageable in a
mind coping with the blessings and the challenges handed to us by God. When
the diagnoses first came in, we thought Jaimie had been punished for
something we did wrong. Writing helped me see the blessing she was meant to
be. She came as a teacher, without bias, who for her thirty years has taught
us love, patience and to make each moment special. We may really see a
butterfly once; she sees it as a miracle each time.
Before
Jaimie, her brother came into our lives. Through journaling his life, I saw
a happy boy grow into manhood. He refused drugs, and decided after trying a
cigarette he enjoyed it too much, so he tossed the rest of the pack away.
When he married and moved away, journaling every e-mail or telephone
communication from him and his wife brought them closer. The long months
between visits passed faster as their lives took shape on my keyboard.
Bruce and
I went through ups and downs like every married couple, but throughout the
years, we felt the immortality of most people under forty-five. Fifty-eight
brought us face to face with Death. The old fellow with the scythe came
close enough his fetid breath struck our faces and filled our nostrils.
After
Bruce took early retirement from the federal government, we opened a boat
dealership in Florida. His dream became mine and success was the reward.
Within less than two years, our dealership hit number six on the east coast
of the United States for our power cats. Bruce ran the business while I
worked outside it. The sun dimmed on the venture when the manufacturer went
after venture capital. He got it but at the price of the backer taking over
the whole west coast of Florida. Six dealerships sunk in the sands of
Florida shores.
Without
the dealership stopping him, Bruce finally made a much-needed visit to the
doctor. He went into the hospital a day later for six heart by-passes. The
day of his appointment, we received a call from one of our best friends. Her
husband, Bruce’s buddy for almost forty years died of complications from a
heart/lung transplant. The combination was almost more than my husband could
bear. He could not get on an airplane with the possibility of a major heart
attack looming over him.
Each
night I wrote. Sometimes a little; occasionally page after page. Anger, fear
and joy rippled across the pages. Anger that we lost our dream business,
fear my husband might not survive the operation and joy that the business
closed so he tended to his health before it was too late.
A week
after he went in, Bruce came home. Exactly one week later, he returned to
the hospital with massive infections in the wound and his bloodstream. He
stayed two long months, getting more depressed with each passing day. The
morning his doctor was to let him come home, he discovered more infection.
He gave me a choice – take my husband home with his chest open so the wound
would heal from the inside out or leave him in the hospital. I considered
the depression taking over his life and opted to bring him home. Under a
nurse’s instruction, I learned to change bandages and pack the wound four
times a day.
I worked
at a resort and my manager decided Bruce’s illness was inconvenient for the
office, so he requested I resign. Our income was down to Bru’s retirement
check and bills were rising fast. Two renters moved out after savaging the
properties and my sister needed shelter from her bi-polar husband. Fingers
burned across the keyboard in the evenings salving hurts, finding blessings,
and sometimes wondering why so much had befallen us.
Last
week, I ran across the journals from that time frame and smiled when I saw
one page. It had two columns. One entitled PROBLEMS and the other BLESSINGS.
The surprise came when I discovered there was a blessing for every problem
and at least once, the blessings doubled. Here is the list:
|
Lost the business |
Gained by husband's life |
|
Bruce's operation |
Great surgeon |
|
|
Healed misunderstanding with brother |
|
Lost my job |
Gained time with family |
|
Two rental properties destroyed |
Met my nephew, a master builder, and rebuilt
rentals |
|
|
Introduced him to his new wife |
|
Sister needed shelter and care |
Always wanted a chance to know Sis better,
because I left home when she was only twelve |
|
NOTE TO MYSELF: Look at this list when you
think life is too much. You are given so much even when troubles
abound. |
Journaling pulled me through the bad and increased the impact of the good.
It began as the dawn of despair bursting into full sunlight of crisp
prospective.
If I
could recommend to anyone only three things they should do in their lives,
the first would be hand problems over to God, give your family and friends
love without bounds, and write every day of your life. It has brought peace
in times of turmoil and understanding in times of anger.
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR:
Maggie
DiGiovanni, author, wife, and mother, has published a children's book,
"Henley, The Frozen Hedgehog,"and had "Daddy's Tall Tales," appeariin Good
Old Days magazine.Her daughter, Jaimie, who has Down's syndrome, is the star
of a novel in progress titled, "I’m Twenty-One and I Drink Wine.”
Common
Values
by
T. L. Cooper
The
media, movies, literature, history classes, religion, and family beliefs
bombard us with the differences between cultures from around the world on a
regular basis. We rarely notice our similarities. We certainly don’t
celebrate either. If we wish to understand and connect with cultures other
than our own, we need to shift focus to our commonalities.
When I
first met my Middle Eastern in-laws after eight years of marriage, I felt
nervous about the differences or commonalities we would discover.
I soon
discovered the Western world’s belief that Middle Eastern women are all
submissive and treated like second class citizens is exaggerated. Women
there are as diverse as in the United States. Women hold jobs including
management positions. Women struggle with the same work-family balance
issues. Wives argued with their husbands. Wearing the traditional dress and
hejab wasn’t forced. Those who chose not to wear it weren’t condemned,
harassed, or arrested.
My
in-laws engaged in an intense discussion in a hejab shop. From their hand
gestures I surmised the topic was me. My mother-in-law wanted to buy me a
scarf. My father-in-law wanted to be sure I understood they accepted me as I
was and didn’t want to change me. After I reassured them through my
husband’s translation that I didn’t think they were trying to impose their
culture on me, they purchased the scarf. My father-in-law placed it around
my neck and indicated with hand gestures, I should wear it the American way.
Watching
shop owners bend to my mother-in-law’s will as she bartered while her
husband stood in the background enthralled me. My husband started to
translate, but I held up my hand and said “I think I got it.” At that moment
standing in a foreign land where I understood no words, I wished I possessed
her boldness.
A common
theme throughout my visit was the love and respect shown to my mother-in-law
by her family and others alike. Immediately after our arrival, in all the
excitement, everyone was talking at once except my mother-in-law. She sat
casting me an occasional smile – both comforting and encouraging at once.
Without a word, she put me at ease. Then she spoke. My eyes widened as the
room went silent and all eyes turned on her until she finished speaking. I
had no idea what was said, but it was obvious her sons and husbands placed
great weight on her words.
Just like
in the United States, women handled most of the cooking though my
father-in-law helped when needed. One evening my in-laws sat in the floor at
a low-legged table while they stuffed zucchini and rolled grape leaves for
the next day’s meal. They worked together so efficiently the work appeared
choreographed. They’d obviously made this meal together many times before.
I arrived
in the Middle East expecting to have little in common with my husband’s
family. In the end, I discovered that we have much more in common than we
think. The value placed on family, treating others well, doing the right
things, and living a decent life transcend culture, religion, and country.
Mothers from all over the world cry when their children leave their
embraces. Fathers from every culture celebrate children’s successes. Sons
and daughters want to live a life that makes their parents proud.
Family
is the first place children learn how to see the world and to accept others.
Mothers are particularly influential in children’s upbringing in any
culture. The women of the world hold more influence over its citizens than
anyone else regardless of culture, religion, or tradition.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR:
T. L.
Cooper graduated from Eastern Kentucky University. Her published work
includes poetry, short stories, articles, and the novel, All She Ever
Wanted. She and her husband live in Oregon.
www.tlcooper.com
CONGRATULATIONS
to our Pick a Topic Winner- T. L. Cooper
Author of All She Ever Wanted, www.tlcooper.com
T.L. entered our Pick-a-topic
contest and won the most votes from our volunteers. T. L. applauds the work of Be the
Star You Are!® and we are thrilled to send her an autographed copy
of our signature book, Be the Star You Are! 99 Givts for Living,
Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Make a Difference.
Sponsorship Opportunities:
Are you interested in being a
sponsor and receiving publicity on our nationally syndicated radio
show from October-January as well as promotion in our newsletters
and web sites? Your sponsorship is tax deductible and we keep your
name in lights for a number of years. Email Cynthia@bethestaryouare.org
and start your promotion today.
WIN
$100 AND A GUEST SPOT ON OUR RADIO SHOW!
Be the Star You Are! 501 c3
charity announces its 5th annual essay contest to promote literacy and
positive messages. www.bethestaryouare.org.
FEE
$10 donation per entry
DATES:
October 18, 2008-January 18, 2009
FIRST
Prize - $100 plus guest appearance on the nationally syndicated radio
program, Be the Star You Are! (Total value, $700)
Additionally, your story will be published in our StarSearcher
Express newsletter and at www.bethestaryouare.org. In the event of a tie,
winners share cash prize and both receive publication and radio interviews.
Other prizes to be announced.
Runner-ups
–Published in our StarSearcher’s Express newsletter and noted on web
site.
You
may choose from the three following topics
-
Women from around the World: Understanding
the similarities and differences of the role of women in various
cultures.
-
Journaling Your Way to a Better Life: How
writing fears, moments of gratitude, and aspirations can help a person
achieve goals in life.
-
How has reading changed your life? What
book was most influential in your life? Why?
All
submissions must be received by Be the Star You Are! by midnight January 18,
2009. Essays accepted by mail or email.
You
may enter as many essays as you'd like, however each one must be in a
separate email or envelope accompanied by a $10 tax deductible donation
entry fee.
Be
the Star You Are! is a 501 C3 charity. All entry fee donations are tax
deductible according to the law.
-
Any
statistics must be documented with researched sources.
-
Word
Count: Please keep stories between 300-600 words .
-
Email
address: – cynthia@bethestaryouare.org
(attachments in a WORD document are allowed)
-
US
mail – Be the Star You Are! charity, PO Box 376, Moraga, Ca.
USA 94556
-
All
submissions must be original, and the sole property of the author.
Author retains all rights to submission. Winners and runners-up
entries will be published on Be the Star You Are! web site effective
February 9, 2009. Winners notified by that date. Winners will be listed
in the newsletter and on the web site. No additional mailings will be
considered. Payment accepted by check, VISA, MasterCard, or PAYPAL.
Payment must be done at the same time of submission. All entries without
donation are disqualified.
Please
supply:
-
Author's
name
-
Mailing
address
-
Email
address
-
Phone
number
-
Word
count
-
30
Word BIO
For
more information, please visit: www.bethestaryouare.org
Be the
Star You Are!® is a 501 c3 charity. All entry fees are tax deductible.
PO Box 376, Moraga, California 94556. Phone
925-376-7126, www.bethestaryouare.org
4th
ANNUAL ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED!
Well
it’s official. The 4th Annual Essay Contest has been judged and the winners
are announced below. This year we had three categories and there was fierce
competition. The topics included:
-
What
is the importance to living Green? Describe how you are helping preserve
Mother Earth for the coming generations.
-
How
can we improve literacy and decrease illiteracy? Write about your efforts
to inspire reading.
-
Who
is your hero and why he/she is a role model to you? Illustrate the importance of mentoring through walking the
talk.
Our
Grand Prize Winner is Angela Berquist whose essay is published here.
Angela
has a Ph.D. in Consciousness Studies, is a published author, and has deep
interest in our relationship to the environment. Her entry was titled Rethinking our Relationship to the
Environment. She wins a cash prize of $100 plus an interview on our radio
program. You can listen to Angela live on January 24 during our show from
3-4pm pst/6-7pmEst on World Talk Radio. Go to http:// http://www.modavox.com/WTRStudioA/HostModaview
ForWTR2.aspx?HostId=289&ChannelId=14&Flag=1. Congratulations, Angela.
The
judges chose the following writers for HONORABLE MENTION:
-
Anne
“Ma” Abruzzini
-
Shirley
Cheng
-
Carol L. Gee
-
Lois
Elfman
-
James
Patrick Hooley
-
Marcia
L. Sinclair
Thank
you to our judges and to all our winners.
Our
5th Annual Be the Star You Are!® essay contest will be announced in October.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor and garnering lots of publicity,
please email us at Be_the_star_you_are@yahoo.com,
or call our offices at 925-376-7126.
RETHINKING
OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE ENVIRONMENT
by Angela Berquist
As a philosopher concerned with psychological issues, I’ve spent
considerable time pondering how our essentially dysfunctional view of the
natural world evolved. My conviction is that the most effective way to address
an impending environmental crisis is to educate the public to such an extent
that they begin to think about their relationship to the environment, and
understand why and how they think and act the way they do.
A heated argument exists as to whether
global warming is a real problem, or a natural phenomenon of nature. Before
agreeing to participate in this now politically-charged issue, it might be
best to take a few steps backward and ask some basic questions, the first
being, if this is a natural
phenomenon, why are we making it worse? Must we have insurmountable problems
before we admit that it’s wise to take action?
The
second question is what does “being green” really mean? Perhaps, it means
regularly recycling or driving a hybrid, but I suggest that the true crux of
the matter is to learn so intently to think green that living in harmony with
nature becomes second nature. In doing so, we are actually following in the
footsteps of our ancestors who based survival on learning from the
environment. In referring to ancestors, you may think I speak of people from
the eighteenth or nineteenth centuries, but, no, I speak of people who lived
during the Paleolithic or Neolithic eras in which humans paid very close
attention to the environment because humans, in contrast to the present age,
were wise enough to recognize they were servants of Nature. They knew very
well they were in no position to take on the mantle of modern self-deception
that insists humans are masters of the Earth. In early days, rather, it was
necessary to develop an essential give-and-take vigilance in which the human
literally listened to big and small movements in the environment and adapted
to what was around them. In short, human survival depended on working with
the environment, and not by forcing it into submission through an unconscious
fear of being overwhelmed. We seem to have unknowingly inherited this fear
from early ancestors. The advantage, however, was that in early days humans
developed an almost psychic relationship with their surroundings in which they
were able to predict future manifestations . . . and be prepared for them.
Their sensitivity was so acute that it easily surpassed the knowledge and
machines we use today. Whether we want to develop our inborn talents or not,
we, as conscious beings, should be aware we have a capacity to cultivate a
similar understanding.
So, I ask again: what does being green mean? By this time it should
mean more than simply recycling and cleaning up litter. It means adopting a
larger understanding in which we comprehend that we ourselves are part of the
environment and must show respect for this environment. Then, in spite of our
intelligence, it suddenly becomes clear that Earth really does have the last
word, and our abuse of the environment will eventually return to torment us.
What goes around, comes around. If only we keep an open mind, we might realize
that, while many indigenous cultures had individuals with what we would now
consider special powers, these individuals primarily had an enhanced interplay
with the environment. That’s all. We killed indigenous people, or diminished
the talents of these people, and are now destroying the Earth they valued.
What does that say about us?
Isn’t there a very profound background
to “being green”?
SPONSOR
OUR 2007 ESSAY CONTEST
BE THE
STAR YOU ARE! is gearing up for our Fourth Annual Contest, which will start
October 17, 2007, and end on December 21, 2007. We hope that you will consider being our sponsor.
Sponsorship fee is again just $3600.00, which is a tax-deductible
charitable contribution.
Besides
the charitable donation to a wonderful local charity, sponsors will receive
the following promotions:
1.
Major announcement with logo in all Be the Star You Are! charity flyers,
newsletters, and e-zines from now through end of January, 2008.
2.
Radio promotion in conjunction with the essay contest through January, 2008 on
our syndicated radio show, StarStyle®
Be the Star You Are! The show is broadcast live each week, then podcast,
archived, and syndicated to THIRTEEN networks worldwide. This year our radio
program began broadcasting on the world’s largest radio network-World Talk/Modavox/Voice
America. We have almost 5 million
listeners. Promotion on one radio show is normally $600 plus per week, and
this sponsorship is through January! GREAT
value for your donation. Sponsor will get 14-16 radio announcements.
3.
Featured placement on the web site, www.bethestaryouare.org.
4.
Listing in our Galaxy of Stars.
5.
Prominent publicity with your logo and contact information in our numerous
essay e-blasts.
Apathy
is consuming our country. Every
day when we turn on our television sets, we are bombarded with heart-wrenching
tales of violence, abuse and a host of other obstacles.
Drug use, gang violence and unsafe sexual promiscuity threaten not only
the future of our young people but also the future of our work force.
Believing that information infused with inspiration has the power to
transform and change lives, BE THE STAR YOU ARE! offers tools for daily living
by promoting literacy and positive media through edu-tainment.
We invite you to join our Galaxy of Stars by sponsoring us.
Donation only $3,600.
BE THE
STAR YOU ARE!, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) volunteer organization, is making a
difference in your community. Everybody counts. Ingredients of positive
programming:
v
life lessons
and empowering stories
v
guidelines
for happiness, prosperity, personal growth
v
promotion of
self esteem, self-growth, self-confidence, self-worth
BE THE STAR YOU ARE! PO Box 422, Moraga, Ca. 877-944-STAR
www.bethestaryouare.org
WIN
$100 AND A GUEST SPOT ON OUR RADIO SHOW!
Be the Star You Are! 2007
FOURTH Annual NATIONAL Essay Contest
Sponsored by ?
Be the Star You Are! 501 c3 charity announces its 4th annual essay contest to
promote literacy and positive messages. www.bethestaryouare.org.
1st Prize - $100 plus guest appearance on the
nationally syndicated radio program, Be the Star You Are! (Total value, $700).
Additionally, your story will be published in our StarSearcher Express
newsletter and at www.bethestaryouare.org.
Other Prizes to be announced. In the event of a tie, winners share cash
prize and both receive publication and radio interviews.
Other Prizes to be announced.
Runner-ups –Published in our StarSearcher’s
Express newsletter and noted on web site.
You may choose from the three following topics
1. What is the importance to living Green? Describe
how you are helping preserve Mother Earth for the coming generations.
2. How can we improve literacy and decrease
illiteracy? Write about your efforts to inspire reading.
3. Who is your hero and why he/she is a role model to
you? Illustrate the importance of
mentoring through walking the talk.
All submissions must be received by Be the Star You
Are! by midnight December 27,
2007. Essays accepted by mail or email.
You may enter as many essays as you'd like, however
each one must be in a separate email or envelope accompanied by a $10 tax
deductible donation entry fee.
Be the Star You Are! is a 501 C3 charity. All entry
fee donations are tax deductible according to the law.
·
Any statistics must be documented with researched
sources.
·
Word Count: Please keep stories between 300-600 words
.
·
Email address: – cynthia@star-style.com
(no attachments, please - place your essay within the body of
the email)
·
US mail
– Be the Star You Are! charity, PO Box 376, Moraga, Ca. USA 94556
·
All submissions must be original, and the sole
property of the author. Author
retains all rights to submission. Winners and runners-up entries will be
published on Be the Star You Are! web site effective January 9, 2007. Winners
notified by that date. Winners will be listed in the newsletter and on the web
site. No additional mailings will be considered. Payment accepted by check,
money order , VISA, MasterCard, or PAYPAL.
Please supply:
*
Author's name
*
Mailing address
*
Email address
*
Phone number
*
Word count
*
30 Word BIO
For more information,
please visit:
www.bethestaryouare.org
2006
CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of the 3rd Annual Be the Star You Are! Essay
contest sponsored by American Freedom Group. Many thanks to our generous
sponsor for making this contest possible.
We had incredible entries and it was difficult for the judges to make their
choice. For future essay entrants, it is important to note that a few essays
were disqualified because they either failed to submit an entry fee even after
being reminded or they did not include their name or contact information,
which meant we had no way of contacting them.
The First Prize Winners and Honorable Mention Winners all followed the
contest directions.
WINNERS ARE: Tie for First Place:
Touching Joy by Sylvia M
DeSantis, M.A.
Audacity by Nancy Wick
(The first place winners receive a monetary award and are interviewed on
our radio show, Be the Star You Are!, http://www.worldtalkradio.com/show.asp?sid=118)
Honorable Mentions include:
Maybe Someday I’ll Use This by Linda Oatman
High Supporting Cast by Lois Elfman
You’re a Riot Alice by Roseanne Boyle
I am a Survivor by Vicki Craig
Shade by Mike Broemmel
I Hold the Power by Shirley Cheng
A Meaningful Life by Angela Berquist
Babe by Gerry Di Gesu
Christmas Visits by Floriana Hall
My Role Model by Adra Young
My Role Model by Patricia D’Ascoli
FIRST PLACE WINNERS:
Touching Joy by Sylvia M
DeSantis, M.A.
The pizza scalds the inside of my mouth. Mom stares at her piece
thoughtfully and then begins to eat it the way she always does, cutting it
with a knife and fork. For a second I consider teasing her, but her eyes look
too tired for that tonight, so we eat in silence, piles of books waiting to be
shelved all around us.
This strong, sweet memory overwhelms me as I drive by the library near my
childhood home. The library, a lovely 1903 farmhouse, did more than hold books—it
helped me find my own story…
I’m sitting with my mother in the back while she takes her dinner break.
I have begun to meet Mom after school in the library where she works, and
the strong, silence presence of so many books in one place nudges something
inside me. The building’s gentle aura suggests a quietly drawn breath.
Spending time here the month after my older sister has died and right before
my parent’s impending divorce brings an enormous sense of relief that comes
from being around so much quiet knowledge. So much peace and calm. Everything
here feels different than our rage-filled home. Even at my age, I know the
word: sanctuary.
Everything within the sacred space brings me joy. The crinkly plastic
coating on the book jackets. The papery smell of the library’s hushed air.
The bumpy, thick volumes waiting to be opened. The space grants me physical,
emotional and spiritual sanity, a reprieve from a house boiling over with
pain.
I spend whole evenings greedily browsing titles, deciding which to check
out, forgetting for a time who I am. Once home, I secret myself away into warm
corners with a snack to spend time inside another girl’s world. I consume
these stories with an intense hunger and always feel at a deep and profound
level that, although the careful arrangement of words brings me great
satisfaction, the joy resides not in the books themselves but instead flows
beneath the bridges created by these stories.
Inhabiting the pages of a story replicates the safety of being inside the
quiet library building. Both states of being, though fleeting and temporary,
feel glorious, precious. Libraries still, in all their forms, bring me peace.
Books carry me, catch me, show me the way. While the stories often fall
short of reality—no
one can make dad stop hitting, nothing will bring back my sister—I
adore the act of reading. The joy in reading a book I have chosen for myself
lifts me to a higher plane, as it does still.
That night as my mother sat with me, a scared twelve year-old, I felt a
safe joy surrounded by all the smells of worn leather and old paper.
Surrounded by my mom.
I remember it clearly like a sharp, colorful dream: Mom looks at me
lovingly, tired but content, the books a paper fortress around us. And I feel
sure, right in this moment, that we will be safe, happy, and whole again. That
Mom and I are touching joy, together, as we weather our storm.
BIO:
SYLVIA M. DeSANTIS is a teacher, writer, and certified Reiki Master. Her
recent work includes Chicken Soup for the Latino Soul and Summer Shorts.
Chat with her at Wordsong@sylviamdesantis.com.
Her web site is www.sylviamdesantis.com.
TIED WITH...
Audacity by Nancy Wick
The newspaper editor gestured to a stack of papers on his desk, maybe 12
inches high. "These are resumes," he said, "all from people who
have a journalism degree. Why should I hire you, when I could hire them?"
I recoiled as if he’d slapped me, tears I was ashamed of filling my eyes.
What could I say? "Because I want the job very badly?" That would
sound like begging. "Because I know I can do it, degree or no
degree?" That would sound arrogant. Aloud I said, "I have some
writing samples I could show you."
He smiled, seeing this as a way to get rid of me. "Okay, leave them
with me and I’ll let you know if I’m interested." He stood up. I
stood too, handed him the samples, said thank you and turned to go.
By the time I got to my car the tears I’d choked back were spilling over.
I must have been crazy, I said to myself, to think I could get a job in
journalism without a degree —
or without the right degree. I had been on my high school newspaper staff, had
written for the college newspaper too. But that didn’t mean much when I had
no professional experience and my degree was in speech and drama.
Once again I cursed myself for chickening out. I had been accepted to the
journalism school but didn’t go because I was intimidated by the audacity it
required — to
call strangers and demand they answer my questions. I was reduced to jelly at
the very thought of it. Now here I was, calling strangers as I tried to get a
job.
Back in my apartment I contemplated my situation. It had been nearly a year
since I’d quit the job I had taken because my degree was so impractical. I
was going to get a writing job or nothing, I’d told myself. That was what I
wanted to do with my life. Since then I’d worked temporary jobs to pay the
rent and applied for the kinds of jobs I wanted. I’d had a few nibbles but
mostly rejection. I needed to do something different.
Then I had an idea. When I’d met the other newspaper editor in town, he
had been kinder than this one. He’d looked at my writing samples, said he’d
consider me. But that was a month ago, and I hadn’t heard from him. I would
invite him to speak to a group I belonged to. If he said yes, that would give
me a legitimate excuse to see him and talk to him again. I dried my tears and
took a deep breath, then dialed the phone before I could change my mind.
He said yes to the speech, and when he came I greeted him warmly. "Are
you still looking for a job?" he asked. I told him I was, and mentioned a
few interviews I’d had. "Well," he said, "I read your clips,
and you do know how to write. I’m sure you’ll find something."
A few weeks later his managing editor called me. "We have a routine
job doing the TV schedules and a little Q&A column," he said.
"Would you be interested?" Of course I’d be interested.
From my first day in the newsroom, I knew I had found my calling. Six
months later I had moved to the Copy Desk, and I later became a reporter and
columnist. Two things had given me what I wanted: the ability to put words on
paper and the audacity to call a stranger.
Bio:
NANCY WICK is a writer/editor at the University of Washington in Seattle.
She has been a journalist for 30 years, even though she never did get that
journalism degree. Contact Nancy at Wicknb@juno.com
2005
The Contest is Over!
Our Winners Have Been Announced!
and
We have co-winners this year! Shirley
Cheng
The Jewel From Heavenly Father
and
Barbara Blomquist
A Tribute To My In-Laws
Sponsored by:
Elsworth
Berg Capital Management, San Diego, California
and US Bank, Lafayette, California
The
Jewel from Heavenly Father
Heavenly
Father bestowed the most precious jewel upon
me on the day my life began. This treasure has shone
endless light upon me, bringing unconditional love,
unwavering support, overflowing happiness, and softest
serenity to my life. I have never felt empty or alone,
as I know the gem has me wrapped in its warm blanket,
protecting me from the darkest corners of the world.
Although twenty-two years have flown by, battling
through wind and storms, its sublimity is undaunted,
and not a speck of dust has ruined its beauty. It
continues to shimmer, not flinching away from any dirt
or mud. I always have it near me; if it is physically
away, it is always locked safely in my heart.
That
diamond is my beloved mother, Juliet Cheng, a
beautiful woman in every sense of the word. When she
smiles, the world lights up alongside her. When she
cries, the days seem to dim in sorrow. Together, my
mother and I have shared laughter and tears; the best
of times and the worst of times. We have fought as a
team with our swords of justice. We have conquered
fiery oceans and thorny jungles and come out with
stars in our arms. She has climbed all the high
mountains with me, supporting and encouraging me every
step of the way. She has carried me on dangerous roads
and saved my life numerous times from the grasp of
death. I would have been long gone if it has not been
for her invincible stamina and courage to fight for my
life to the very end until she wins.
My
mother has done all this while battling her own
horrendous illnesses. But she keeps on moving forward,
never abandoning me or faltering in any way. Her light
shines ever so brighter, never dimming as the years
pass us by. She does everything in her power to keep
me well and happy. Her love for me is "higher than the
sky and deeper than the ocean." With her love always
within me, I feel all the wonders of sensations. I am
a billionaire even though my pockets are empty. I have
all the riches in the world: love, happiness, peace,
security, and support. What more is there to life than
those pearls of the universe? She gives me all of
those treasures without expecting anything in return.
She is my life, and I give her all I can offer--my
love, heart, and soul.
She is
as gentle as a summer's breeze, but the lioness
in her jumps out when she defends and protects me from
the harshness of the world. Her wit is as sharp as a
sword, and she is unafraid to use it against injustice
whenever it tries to harm me. Not only is she a
protector of mine--she embraces everyone, but the
world has not always returned her hugs. Nevertheless,
she remains a lover, never being sour with anyone.
No one is able to separate us. They may separate us
physically (and no doubt the world had tried very hard
several times), but we could never be spiritually
separated. We live within each other's hearts; we
could be oceans away, but we would still be near to
each other. She calls me her star, and I, too, call
her my star. We are binary stars, ever revolving
around each other, never drifting apart. She will
never be absent of her fiery glow, and I will forever
shine by her side. As long as there is life, there
will be her love and mine.
Shirley
Author's
bio:
Shirley Cheng (b.1983), blind, disabled author, poet, has
juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since eleven months old, and received no
education until age eleven. She hopes to earn science doctorates from
Harvard.
A
Tribute to My In-Laws
Ozzie and Harriett, Ward and June Cleaver, and the Andersons
of Father Knows Best, these were the television parents I remember from
my childhood, but, they weren’t like my
parents. I thought they were totally fiction, until I found
them, in the flesh, in my in-laws.
My parents are loving and supportive, but that was where the
similarity ended between the make believe parents of early TV land.
Those parents, and my in-laws, were middle class and white collar. My
parents were working class - a janitor and a cleaning lady.
We lived in an urban inner-city, my in-laws and the TV families lived
in small towns or suburbs, and my parents
were black, not white like the TV families, and my in-laws.
When I met my husband in 1969 the world was changing, but
race was still an issue. Martin
Luther King was assassinated the year before, and the Weathermen and the Black
Panthers were in their heyday. But,
such radical elements meant little to me.
I was a product of Detroit’s inner city and lived at home while I
worked my way through college. In September 1969 I enrolled in graduate school
in Pittsburgh on a teaching fellowship. I
was achieving the American dream and there was little room for radical
politics. I kept a low profile, worked hard and was overjoyed to be finally
living in dormitory like a regular college student.
Therefore, I was personally surprised when two months after I met
Roger, I was seriously thinking of marrying him.
Marrying this man would have meant that people would have noticed me
and I didn’t want to be noticed, just to succeed. Roger WAS from the home of
the Nelsons, Cleavers and Andersons, his great-grandfather had actually
changed his name from Anderson to Blomquist before he immigrated to the US
from Sweden.
My in-laws were as traditional as they come.
They were suburban middle class. Vic
was a chemist for the government and Mildred was a homemaker.
Little sister Linnea was the cutest little sweet tempered blonde
teenager. Having their son and
brother hook up with me was not an exactly welcoming situation.
There were some tears, but there was also genuine Christian acceptance.
When we married two years later, my in-laws invited their
friends and relatives, they paid for the rehearsal dinner and they were
perfect hosts, to my family and friends of factory workers, nurses and clerks.
Mildred and Vic shared many significant events with my
husband and me. During three
months of bed rest with our first child, they were there making a Sunday
brunch for our eleventh anniversary. Two
years later they were there again, volunteering to take care of our daughter
when we took a trip to visit friends in London. Our youngest daughter was even
born on her grandfather’s birthday - 76 years later.
Throughout the years, my in-laws provided parental love,
support and much joy. They
treated us and our daughters equally as they treated my sister-in-laws husband
and her daughters. I have never
had the desire to make any jokes about in-laws because mine were precious
beyond description. Today almost
six years after their passing, I still rejoice that they were a part of my
life.
So, were television families of the fifties real? With a
resounding North Dakota Swedish accent I say “You betcha” - they were my
in-laws!
Barbara
Author's bio:
Barbara Blomquist is a wife, mother, screenwriter,
SAG/AFTRA actress,
volunteer community cable producer and a substitute teacher at a local middle
school and she does windows.
Here are the contest rules:
Welcome to our
second
Be the Star You Are!™
Writing Contest!
WIN
$100 AND A GUEST SPOT ON OUR RADIO SHOW!
Be the Star You Are!™
2005 2nd Annual Essay Contest
Sponsored by:
Elsworth
Berg Capital Management, San Diego, California
and US Bank, Lafayette, California
TOPICS:
You may choose from the three following topics.
One Grand prize will be awarded. Runners-up will have their essays
published in our newsletter, StarSearcher’s Express and will be noted on our
web site at www.bethestaryouare.org.
1. Write an
essay or personal story on the influence that adults have as role models for
kids.
2.Write an
essay or personal story as a tribute about great parents from the children who
were loved by them.
3. Write an
essay or personal story on how we can see the positive in world disasters and
how we can help our children learn from them.
FEE
$10 donation per entry
1st
Prize - $100 plus guest appearance on
the nationally syndicated radio program, Be the Star You Are!™ (Total value,
$700) Additionally, story will be
published in our StarSearcher Express newsletter and at www.bethestaryouare.org.
Runners-up
–Published in our StarSearcher’s Express newsletter and noted on web site.
Winners will
be notified by email and telephone. Winning entries will be published on the
Be the Star You Are!™ web site (http://www.bethestaryouare.org)
and in the Star Searcher’s Express Newsletter.
Other publishing opportunities and/or
prizes to be announced. Radio interviews are over-the-phone. Program
broadcasts live and is archived from San Diego, California every Wednesday
from 6-7pm PST on World Talk Radio, Visit: http://www.worldtalkradio.com/show.asp?sid=118
to tune in.
All
submissions must be received by Be the Star You Are!™ by
midnight December 20, 2005. Essays accepted by mail or email.
You may enter
as many essays as you'd like, however each one must be in a separate email or
envelope accompanied by a $10 donation entry fee.
Be the Star
You Are!™ is a 501 C3 charity. All entry fee donations are tax deductible
according to the law.
-
Any
statistics must be documented with researched sources.
-
Word
Count: please keep stories between 300-600 words.
-
Email
address: – cynthia@star-style.com
(no attachments, please - place your essay within the body of the email)
-
US
mail – Be the Star You Are!™ charity, PO Box 376, Moraga, Ca.
USA 94556
-
All
submissions must be original, unpublished, and the sole property of the
author. Author retains all
rights to submission. Winners and runners-up entries will be published on
Be the Star You Are!™ web site effective January 9, 2006. Winners
notified by that date. Winners will be listed in the newsletter and on the
web site. No additional mailings will be considered. Payment accepted by
check, money order , VISA, MasterCard, or PAYPAL.
-
If sent by
US mail, all submissions must be double spaced, neat and typed on 8.5 x 11
white bond paper. Handwritten submissions not accepted. No stories or
materials will be returned. Provide contact information on first page of
submission including:
-
Author's
name
-
Mailing
address
-
Email
address
-
Phone
number
-
Word
count
-
30
Word Bio
Direct any additional questions to Cynthia Brian at cynthia@star-style.com.
Thanks for entering our Be
the Star You Are!™ essay contest. Enjoy the process.
Reach for the stars!
For more information, please visit: www.bethestaryouare.org
2004
Welcome to our first
Be the Star You Are!™
Essay Contest!
Be
the Star You Are!™ is a 501 (c)(3) charity dedicated to empowering
families and youth at risk through literacy and positive media.
Our motto is “To be a leader, you must be a reader.”
TOPICS:
You may choose any of the following topics.
There will be one overall First Prize winner selected and two Second
Place Prizes awarded.
1. Write an essay or personal story on how what we
witness in the media impacts our lives either positively or negatively.
Media includes television, radio, films, newspapers, magazines, and
internet.
2.Write an essay or personal story on powerful parenting
skills and how children are taught morals, ethics, respect, and discipline
through the actions of adults.
3. Write an essay or personal story on the value of
reading to children and the importance of fostering literacy programs in our
country.
DETAILS:
FEE
$10 per entry
(Click
here to pay online, or send your check to the address listed below.)
1st Prize -
$100 plus guest appearance on the nationally syndicated radio program, Be
the Star You Are!™
2nd Prize
–Guest appearance on the nationally syndicated radio program, Be
the Star You Are!™ to promote your work.
Winning entries will be published on the Be
the Star You Are!™ web site (http://www.bethestaryouare.org)
and in the Star Searcher’s Express Newsletter.
Other publishing opportunities and/or
prizes to be announced. Radio interviews either in-studio or over-the-phone.
If choosing in-studio, winner is responsible for travel expenses
to/from studio. Program
broadcasts live and is archived from San Diego, California every Wednesday
from 6-7pm PST on World Talk Radio, Visit: http://www.worldtalkradio.com/show.asp?sid=118
to tune in.
Submissions accepted beginning October 8, 2004. All
submissions must be received by Be
the Star You Are!™ by midnight
December 20, 2004. Essays accepted by mail or email.
You may enter as many essays as you'd like, however each
one must be in a separate email or envelope accompanied by a $10 entry fee.
·
Any statistics must be documented with researched sources.
·
Word Count: Please keep stories between 300-600 words .
·
Email address: – cynthia@star-style.com
(no attachments, please - place your essay within the body of the email)
·
US mail – Be
the Star You Are!™ charity, PO Box 376, Moraga, CA, USA 94556
·
All submissions must be original, unpublished, and the sole
property of the author. Author
retains all rights to submission. Winners and second place entries will be
published on Be
the Star You Are!™ web site effective January 3, 2005. Winners
notified by that date. Winners will be listed in the newsletter and on the web
site. No additional mailings will be considered. Payment accepted by check,
money order , VISA, MasterCard, or PAYPAL.
·
If sent by US mail, all submissions must be double spaced, neat
and typed on 8.5 x 11 white bond paper. Handwritten submissions not accepted.
No stories or materials will be returned. Provide contact information on first
page of submission including:
*
Author's name
* Mailing address
* Email address
* Word count
Direct any additional questions to Cynthia Brian at cynthia@star-style.com.
Thanks for entering our Be
the Star You Are!™ essay contest. Enjoy the process.
Reach for the stars!
For more information, please visit: www.bethestaryouare.org
2004 Writing Contest Winner!
MAMA
AND THE DRUGS
by Maggie DiGiovanni
Mama, though
old-fashioned in many ways, thought raising
her children in the proper manner could only
be done with the use of drugs. She used
them liberally and she used them well.
Twice on Sunday and
every Wednesday night she and Daddy drug us to
church. The preacher taught us about God and
all the heavenly virtues. Mama and Daddy
taught us to respect the teachings and our
God.
If either of her
three children received a note from the
teacher, Mama drug us back to school to hear
both sides of the story. Ninety-nine percent
of the time she agreed with the teacher. If we
had gotten too far out of the bounds of
decency, we were drug to the barn for a
serious 'discussion.'
Believing that family
was everything, Mama drug her children, and a
sometimes reluctant husband, to family
reunions so we had a chance to get to know as
many of our kin as possible.
No matter how much
work faced her, Mama drug out hugs, kissed our
bumps and bruises and helped build a playhouse
or fort, according to which child made the
request. Even if she was in her Sunday best
and her child was covered in dirt, chocolate
or other grime, she drug out the belief that
hugs were more important than the pretty dress
she wore.
If any of her
children did their chores in a halfway manner,
she drug him or her back to the task,
explained the proper way to do it and insisted
the work be completed. When we became adults,
we knew that no job was too small to be done
right.
As we grew, Mama drug
each of us aside to tell us the facts of life
and urge us to respect ourselves enough to say
no to peer pressures. When we faced our
biggest challenges, she was always there to
listen and advise without judging.
At our senior proms,
Mama drug Daddy along to chaperone. Because of
the other 'drugs' she had administered in our
youth, none of us felt embarrassed to have our
parents present. Instead, we felt honored.
Mama drug us other
places, such as the dentist, doctor and the
hospital and comforted us with her presence.
She taught us that if we broke the law when we
got older, policemen would be enforcing the
'drug' rules and they would be right to do so.
She drug us into
respecting those around us and ourselves.
Both Mama and Daddy
drug us to realize that our good names were
the only thing we had that couldn't be taken
away. It could only be given away through
careless actions.
Mama drug us to visit
those less fortunate than ourselves and taught
us to offer comfort in any way we could.
When cocaine,
marijuana, and heroin became commonplace in
the lives of those around us, she drug us to
see the effects they had on people.
Yes, Mama's 'drugs'
were powerful and she made sure she gave them
to us personally. The first time she used them
on any of her children was when she drug us
into her arms and welcomed us into a world
made of a loving family.
I raised my children
using liberal doses of the same drugs Mama
dispensed until her death.
About Maggie DiGiovanni:
Maggie DiGiovanni, author, wife, and
mother, has published a children's book,
"Henley, The Frozen Hedgehog," and
has "Daddy's Tall Tales," appearing
in Good Old Days magazine in May 2005."
Her daughter, Jaimie, who has Down's syndrome,
is the star of a novel in progress titled,
"I’m Twenty-One and I Drink Wine!"
"The Adventures of Henley Hedgehog"
and a collection of horror stories called
"The Junk Yard" should be complete
by the new year’s end.
Maggie says:
"Thank you and all the judges for the
opportunity to be on the radio and get some of
my writing out to the public. If I don't
get more writing assignments, it was well
worth it just to meet you. You and your
show have the values I hold dear. Thank
you, again, for this marvelous
opportunity."
Maggie
DeGiovanni,
Grand Prize Winner in the Be the Star You
Are!™ National Writing Contest
Be
the Star You Are!®
P. O. Box 376
Moraga, CA 94556
Tel:
877.944.STAR or 925.376.7126
Fax: 925.376.7142
info@bethestaryouare.org
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the Star You Are!® is a registered trademark.
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