Friday, January 27, 2006
I'm On the Verge...
I'm on the verge of completing 5 interviews: an African American homeschooler, an astronaut, a Pulitzer Prize winner, a veterinarian and a friend from childhood who I respect very much (it's all about integrity). "On the verge" unfortunately means I have nothing for you yet. Forewarned is forearmed: several of these interviews may take a while to materialize, if at all. One, due to scheduling, probably won't happen for another month and a half. Again, I'm trying to stick to those stories that I really want to hear. That makes it tough because I'm picky.
I'm getting to the point where I need to start moving out of my comfort zone, to reach outside of my circle of friends leading extraordinary lives (by my own account). This is one of the biggest personal barriers I need to break through anyway, so I might as well incorporate it into my little project. For some strange reason, posting a commitment on this blog works like a personal contract for me. So far, I've made a commitment to go as far as I can with my mentees and my search for the extraordinary - it's exciting, it's invigorating and it makes me feel alive! I'm giving my heart to my mentees - totally worth it! And my interviews continue to teach me the importance of values, debunking societal myths, following your passion and building the resources to realize those passions. I'm not done yet, and I won't stop until I feel I have learned the lesson I was meant to learn...which leads me to a few questions...
1) Where should I find my next interviewees, and
2) Why should they speak to me?
Where do I get the next interviewees? Well, I'll continue to ask friends if they (or you) know of anyone that might have an interesting story about an extraordinary life. Let's just say my track record during the past two weeks has been poor.
I was thinking last weekend that I would continue to work to expose my son and mentees to different people and environments, for example, the best veterinarian I can find (Johnny would be transfixed), other interesting people I'd like them to meet (they loved the fireman), and special events that I think they'd benefit from (Chinese New Year celebrations). Every time we meet someone interesting, or go somewhere new, they'll get exposure, and I'll attempt to get an interview. The kids get exposure they might not get otherwise (How likely am I to try to invite an astronaut or a Pulitzer Prize winner over for dinner? How likely are we to seek out homeschooling families? How likely am I to schedule a tour with my local animal hospital?) I get one more opportunity to get into the head of someone who I sense has something extraordinary to say. You get a more textured view of our journey.
Why should anyone speak with me? Well, I've got three kids who would benefit tremendously from simply interacting with folks who are intentionally living 'great' lives and who have worked hard to get there.
You may not get an interview once a week, but I'll feel like I have something to say when I post (or why bother?) And as for the long distance interviews, I've found that people are inspired by these stories. They learn about how to be a better parent or teacher or human being in this world. Maybe it's only 50 people here and there, but add it up and your affecting lives.
...Not too shabby for an extended chat with me - right???
VerniceJones06 [at] yahoo [dot] com
I'm getting to the point where I need to start moving out of my comfort zone, to reach outside of my circle of friends leading extraordinary lives (by my own account). This is one of the biggest personal barriers I need to break through anyway, so I might as well incorporate it into my little project. For some strange reason, posting a commitment on this blog works like a personal contract for me. So far, I've made a commitment to go as far as I can with my mentees and my search for the extraordinary - it's exciting, it's invigorating and it makes me feel alive! I'm giving my heart to my mentees - totally worth it! And my interviews continue to teach me the importance of values, debunking societal myths, following your passion and building the resources to realize those passions. I'm not done yet, and I won't stop until I feel I have learned the lesson I was meant to learn...which leads me to a few questions...
1) Where should I find my next interviewees, and
2) Why should they speak to me?
Where do I get the next interviewees? Well, I'll continue to ask friends if they (or you) know of anyone that might have an interesting story about an extraordinary life. Let's just say my track record during the past two weeks has been poor.
I was thinking last weekend that I would continue to work to expose my son and mentees to different people and environments, for example, the best veterinarian I can find (Johnny would be transfixed), other interesting people I'd like them to meet (they loved the fireman), and special events that I think they'd benefit from (Chinese New Year celebrations). Every time we meet someone interesting, or go somewhere new, they'll get exposure, and I'll attempt to get an interview. The kids get exposure they might not get otherwise (How likely am I to try to invite an astronaut or a Pulitzer Prize winner over for dinner? How likely are we to seek out homeschooling families? How likely am I to schedule a tour with my local animal hospital?) I get one more opportunity to get into the head of someone who I sense has something extraordinary to say. You get a more textured view of our journey.
Why should anyone speak with me? Well, I've got three kids who would benefit tremendously from simply interacting with folks who are intentionally living 'great' lives and who have worked hard to get there.
You may not get an interview once a week, but I'll feel like I have something to say when I post (or why bother?) And as for the long distance interviews, I've found that people are inspired by these stories. They learn about how to be a better parent or teacher or human being in this world. Maybe it's only 50 people here and there, but add it up and your affecting lives.
...Not too shabby for an extended chat with me - right???
VerniceJones06 [at] yahoo [dot] com
