Sipping coffee I nod enjoying the moment.
Suddenly serious she reads I "spent 30 years in the non-profit world successfully fighting homelessness, AIDS, mental health, substance abuse, health care and government bureaucracy."
"Where did you do these things?"
"Here," I absentmindedly shrug.
"What did you do?" she presses.
"Oh I was at Union Mission," I mumble.
Her eyes grow wide. "Grace House? Phoenix Place? The Starfish Café? The freaking J. C. Lewis Health Center! You did those things?"
"I used to do those things," I explain.
She places the book in front of me saying, "I want to buy but a book I don't have any money right now."
I smile nodding my head. I wish I could give them away but I can't.
Sarah and I are hard at work starting new things taking our experiences and life lessons helping others grow hope in their lives. The book is one way though there are topical classes, workshops, speeches and personal coaching too.
Starting new things is hard work. Creating something out of our experiences and life lessons seems daunting. We know everything's going to work because we have faith, passion and love for what we're doing. Actually it's already working because people tell us how they've benefitting. Hope has grown in specific and concrete ways and they're trying their own new things!
Besides as the saying goes, "Don't fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have ... might have ... should have" (Louis Boone).
"Hey," she says interrupting these thoughts, "I got the money. Can I buy a book now?"
Greedily she grabs it throwing bills on the table with a smile making a choice to instantly invest in herself.
"Thank you," I say watching her walk away towards her own new thing.
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Purchase your copy of "Sandy Bottoms & Duct Taped Hearts" at http://www.meellc.com/wordpress/newbook/
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