My dear friend Ann, who was raised in a Moravian family in western North Carolina, has devoted her life not only to helping the disadvantaged to get the education which will help them to succeed, but also to many other fine and worthy causes. One of the most important has been the elimination of domestic violence; in fact she serves as the president of the local domestic violence shelter. We often discuss her work there, and over the past year or so she has told me that the situation has gotten much worse for women and children living in violent situations. The bad economic conditions in the United States and the world have certainly contributed to this state of affairs. When people are stressed by losing their jobs and homes, and struggling just to feed themselves, it seems that those who have loved poorly take out their frustrations on those around them.

 When I say that they have “loved poorly,” I must look back on my own family. There was no physical abuse, thank goodness, but the emotional tensions resulting from not understanding how to love with wholehearted compassion and acceptance were truly difficult for everyone in the family to deal with. My parents divorced when I was in my teens, thank goodness, for their sakes as well as for me and my siblings. My father went on to forge a good marriage with a very special woman, and they have been married for over thirty years. My mother chose not to remarry, and lives happily and peacefully by herself (albeit with three pets). While my older brother has been married to the same woman for nearly as long as my father has been remarried, my sisters were not so lucky. The three of them have passed through numerous marriages and relationships, all of which ended unhappily. And I, myself, have never married and do not care to, as I have devoted my life to caring for endangered animals instead of another human being. We all have to make our own choices, and forge our own paths, for good or ill.

But back to the topic: Loving Poorly. So many people never learned how to love selflessly, concerned for the good of the partner and their offspring. So many of us love selfishly, looking for what a relationship will do for us, and fooling ourselves that we are altruistic and giving. To love in such a constrained and constricted manner is a denial of the wealth of love which the Universe desires us to experience.

Loving poorly results from not having a good example to follow when we are growing up. After all, if your parents and grandparents are unable to love each other, for the ultimate good of the other, then where will we learn to love well? If our parents cannot trust each other, or share their dreams with each other, or work together for the good of the family, where will we learn to build a supportive, strong family? Many of us get lucky and happen to find the perfect partner; unfortunately, however, far too many of us cannot leap the hurdle of a bad example and love well, for the good of everyone around us.

Loving poorly results also from fear—fear of being used, fear of not having what we desire, fear of losing what we have. We grasp our “love” so tightly that we strangle it, choke the life out of it. We grab anyone who comes near and profess our love for them, when we are merely seeking to build a wall behind which to hide from loneliness. We are too frightened to allow the other person to be happy, independent, strong. We are afraid that if they are allowed to see the light, they will run towards it and away from us. We do not truly love them; we are trying to protect ourselves.

It is not such a bad thing to be alone. It is very valuable to be able to love someone for their benefit, and not for our own. For when we love altruistically, we gain such joy and satisfaction when we see the other fulfilled and happy. Being alone enables us to explore who we really are, and who we are meant to be. Isn’t it better to be able to share your love with the whole world unreservedly, than to love one person wrongly, and cause them pain?

Don’t be afraid to love; don’t be afraid to grant freedom to your beloved. If the Universe intends for you to be with that person, then they will be with you. And if not, then no doubt there is someone better out there, or something better out there, which will make you truly strong and happy.

Copyright © 2010 Hillora Lang

*This post is dedicated to my friend Ann, and all of the people whom she helps to live better, safer, healthier lives.

Have you ever noticed that when things are going along pretty well, you’re getting everything done that you need to, and keeping your head above water, that suddenly a huge boulder seems to spring up in your path? I guess it must be a karma thing, just to keep the challenges coming, the learning and growing happening…

This summer I am taking four courses towards my Associate of Arts degree, and everything was going along so well—Until I was checking up on my grades on the distance learning board and discovered that my (quite good) mid-term exam grade in Physical Geology was not there. Major trauma! Immense stress! Without that grade my (rather high) GPA is trashed! The distance learning forum, Blackboard, has been having problems all summer, and appears to have “lost” my exam altogether. ARRGGHHH!!!

I’ve been sending frantic emails to my instructor, trying to resolve the situation, but he can find no record of my having taken the exam. The way he has the course set up, students cannot copy and save their work online for future reference, to study from, and, in this case, to prove a grade. If I get a perfect grade on all upcoming assignments and the final exam, I’ll still only finish with a grade of C. So much for all of the hard work I’ve put in, the sweat and tears, and mental anguish!

My only hope is that if I retake the course, my new grade (A) will replace this semester’s grade, and my GPA (3.9) will be saved.

So what do we learn from this situation? TRUST NO ONE! And nothing! While I couldn’t have saved a copy of the exam, I should have copied the page which gave me my grade, the date and time I took the exam, etc. At least then I would have had the proof I needed to file a grievance with the college, and rescue my semester’s hard work from the trash.

If you are in school, and taking online classes, please take my advice—cover your b___! Copy every assignment, work submitted, exams taken (if you can), and grades recorded. Never go on the assumption that life is fair and you’ll get what you deserve. Unless you’re able to look on the bright side and enjoy the lessons that mistakes like this will teach you (the hard way!), be ready to prove your case in the event that something goes wrong. Because somewhere along the line, no doubt something will go wrong, and you’d best be ready for it.

Good luck!

Update: I couldn’t face the thought of having that C on my record, and found out that the grade can only change if I got a D or F and then took the course again, so today I Withdrew/Passing (WP) from the course. Now I can take it again, already having done most of the work for it, and get the A which I need to keep my GPA up. I never thought that I would drop a course, but this seemed the most graceful and beneficial way to handle the situation. At least I won’t have to purchase the textbooks again!

Copyright © 2010 Hillora Lang

On Saturday, June 19th 2010 the annual Blueberry Festival was held in Burgaw, NC. I seized the opportunity to attend and take photographs for an upcoming assignment in Portrait photography in my summer semester Digital Photography class. Here are a few of the photos I took, out of a total of about 500. Enjoy!

Copyright ©2010 Hillora Lang

After the fear and devastation of losing my financial aid for the Spring 2010 semester of my college career, and facing the end of my long-awaited dream of getting a college education, I am delighted to report that – with the help and support of some wonderful friends – I managed to stay in school and keep a roof over my head, and finished the semester with a grade of A in all seven of my courses. This brought my GPA at the first college which I am attending up to 3.9 and at the second to 3.4. And having examined closely the courses which I have completed and which remain, I have discovered that I will have completed my first two degrees within three years of having started college. Hooray!

Now the Summer 2010 semester is well underway, and after three weeks I can say that I am holding my own. This summer’s courses are challenging and jam-packed with assignments, but I am successfully making way through and keeping it together. And I have planned my remaining courses to allow for one “fun” elective course each semester, to keep myself motivated.

Last semester’s fun course was Web Design, which has given me the basic skills needed to form a web presence, some day when I am ready to put my heartfelt, creative self out there. This semester I am taking Digital Photography 1, and in the fall I will be taking Digital Photography 2. I am learning so much about taking interesting, artistic photographs, and looking forward to developing my vision into something worth sharing with the world. In combination with my writing and collage art, I hope to be able to produce something worthwhile which others will find interesting and thought-provoking.

Another of my classes this summer fulfills my physical education requirement. As a part of this class, it was necessary to join a gym and initiate a regular exercise routine. I have to admit that I haven’t gotten much exercise since I graduated from high school and had to start trying to earn a living. I didn’t have the finances or the energy to pursue my dance classes, and had to give them up. Now that I am working out at the gym and taking various classes, my body is remembering how great it felt to dance. I am loving the Pilates classes, and took my first yoga class today (very challenging!). So this onerous requirement has turned out to be a blessing in disguise, and I am glad that I have been “forced” to return to nurturing my physical creativity.

And I also have Intro to Literature and Physical Geology, for a total of four courses this summer. My volunteer work at the feral cat sanctuary continues to be interesting and fulfilling. As always, there are too many cats and too little room, so we plan to try fencing in a large area in the woods where the wildest cats can be free to run and still live in peace and safety. We continue to apply for grants and do fundraising events, but with the world’s economy in such a bad condition, the money is rolling in slowly, more like molasses than like free-flowing, crystal clear water. But the Universe has been good to these poor cats, providing a home and food, and I know that we will be able to raise the money we need to continue our work on their behalf.

So, with my deepest thanks to those wonderful people whom I have been blessed to find in my life, I am very happy to share my share my triumphs with you.  Thank you to all of my friends, to my family, and to my readers around the world. I hope that by sharing my work, my joys, and my challenges with the world, everyone who reads my words will find some inspiration to meet the challenges of their lives, and to fight through and succeed with whatever they find most important. Get out there, take a chance on yourself, and do some good in the world. And thank you!

*This article was written for an assignment in a course in Network Fundamentals (NET 115), Spring 2010           

          There are many specific causes at the root of the educational and social problem known as the Digital Divide. Factors contributing to this problem include social and economic status, race, gender, geographic location, generation/age, and technical ability. At the core, however, the problem can be defined as “those who have access to computers and the Internet, and those who do not.”

            Early in the development of personal computers and the Internet, it was believed that the open-access capabilities of the Internet would lead to parity of information sharing, to equality of access for all people. As it developed, however, it could be seen that those living in poor areas, in remote or rural locations, or in underfunded and underserved communities, could not gain access to the greatest informational and educational resource which the world has ever known. It takes money to buy a computer, and to connect it to the Internet. Those living in poverty could not afford to invest in such a resource, no matter what the lifetime benefits would prove to be. And schools in poor areas could not afford to purchase the equipment, train or hire trained personnel to teach the children to use it. Thus, one of the most comprehensive information resources available would be denied to the very people who would benefit most from it.

            I believe wholeheartedly that the only sure way to alleviate poverty and to equitably provide a way to earn a decent living is to educate everyone to the same standard, including not only basic literacy skills but also computer literacy. Practically every decent job open today requires at least a minimum of basic computer skills; most well-paid jobs require strong competency. Subsistence-level employment is not enough to provide a decent standard of living and adequate health care; rather, one must be able to obtain at least a mid-level job if one is to provide a decent life for one’s family and contribute to one’s community. Computer literacy is key to obtaining a good, secure job in the world of the twenty-first century.

            Many individuals and organizations recognize the need for equitable computer training and Internet access. Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of One Laptop per Child, has addressed this issue by designing, manufacturing, and establishing an organizational framework to put free wireless laptop computers in the hands of children in poor areas of the world. Renowned filmmaker George Lucas, the founder of Edutopia.org, an organization which exists to improve education, testified in front of Congress about the need for affordable telecommunications access throughout the U.S. educational system. Microsoft initiated a Partners in Education-sponsored program called the IT Academy in India, in order to provide computer-literacy training for 80,000 teachers and 3.5 million students over a five-year period beginning in 2003. And countless others are undertaking similar efforts in their communities and throughout the world.

            Knowledge is power, and we need to all become educated about this issue. It is not enough to recognize and bemoan the fact that our local school lacks adequate resources to teach our children. We must encourage others, publicize and politicize this issue, and let the world know that we will stand together to seek education in computer use and Internet access for everyone in the world. This is one small planet we share, and we must work to see that everyone succeeds on it, or we will all pay the price for poverty and ignorance.

            I strongly urge you to explore the resources listed in this bibliography, especially the “One Laptop per Child” program, and to seek further information on your own.

Bibliography

Ba, Harouna. What is the Digital Divide. 2 May 2010 <http://www.tcla.gseis.ucla.edu/divide/politics/ba.html>.

Edutopia.com. Mr. Lucas Goes to Washington: Edutopia’s Founder Advocates Telecom Access For All. 24 June 2008. 2 May 2010 <http://www.edutopia.org/george-lucas-technology-congressional-testimony>.

Gorski, Paul C. Multicultural Education and the Digital Divide. September 2001. 2 May 2010 <http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/edchange_divide.html>.

Microsoft Unlimited Potential. Microsoft Partners in Learning program Helps Transform Education in India. 2 May 2010 <www.microsoft.com>.

Neil Selwyn and Keri Facer, Futurelab.org.uk. Beyond the Digital Divide. 2007. 2 May 2010 <http://www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/opening_education/Digital_Divide.pdf>.

Network for Good. Bridging the Digital Divide. 2009. 2 May 2010 <http://www.networkforgood.org/topics/education/digitaldivide/>.

Norris Dickard, Diana Schneider. The Digital Divide: Where We Are Today. 2 July 2002. 2 May 2010 <http://www.edutopia.org/digital-divide-where-we-are-today>.

Will Montepeque, Nicole Weir, Thomas Ashley, Pamela D. Williams, Britni Rolfingsmeier, Caroline Yun, Bo White, Venita Hubbard, Beth Hand, and Cathy Mannen. Digital Divide and Education. 2007. 2 May 2010 <http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Digital_Divide_and_Education>.

Copyright © 2010 Hillora Lang

Thanks to the generosity and kindness of some dear friends, I am sitting in front of the large window of their island house in coastal North Carolina, watching the activity in the marsh behind the house. Scudding clouds stretch across the horizon of the nearby mainland  dropping occasional bouts of heavy rain. The tide is in, so the level of the waterways which wend through the marsh is high, the water broken by rippling waves. And in the midst of a green-brown expanse of marshgrass stands a gorgeous white crane, head swiveling around alertly as it watches for its dinner to come by.

I feel so blessed to have such kind and caring friends, who allow me the use of their home when no one is in residence. This has become a true sanctuary for me, a place where I can relax and work on the inevitable homework assignments which my college schedule brings me. It’s wonderful to have a place to retreat from the unending demands of the animals which I have devoted my life to caring for. Their demands aren’t really that onerous – food, water, clean litterboxes, and unending affection and attention. I adore them all, but it can be a little trying when I am working on the computer and a parade of cats insists on climbing on my shoulders or racing across the keyboard. Sometimes, I just need a break to get my work done!

The sound of rain on the roof is quite soothing as I study for my last two final exams of the spring semester. Another successful semester is almost behind me, and I am looking forward to my summer classes. Most students in my position would eagerly await summer for the break in classes, but I don’t have a minute to waste as I pursue my education. This dedication has paid off for me – by the time I have completed three years in college, I will have achieved two degrees, in Library Information Technology and Associate of Arts Transfer. Not bad for someone who just a short while ago doubted that she could handle college at all!

I have said it before, but I have to say it again: my life has never been better! College is the best adventure that I could imagine, and I adore every minute of it. The challenges and triumphs, the friends I have made and things I have learned, have brought me such deepseated joy and satisfaction that I never want this wonderful experience to end. I am truly blessed!

I wish that everyone in this beautiful world could have the same joy in education which I have found. This wish has brought another purpose to my life, that of helping whoever I can, wherever I can, to have access to the education which will enable them to create a safe, healthy, successful life for themselves, their families, and their communities. I don’t know what form my efforts will take, but I am open to the wonders of the Universe and the bounty which it has to bestow, and I know that in time my path will become clear. I will help others to walk the path which I am walking now, and reap the rewards of education for themselves.

Copyright ©2010 Hillora Lang

Up until now I have believed that I was doomed to be unlucky with computers. I alway seem to be getting viruses, despite anti-virus programs and security measures. And now my email account’s address book has been hacked, and some jerk has sent evil emails to all of my contacts, with prescription drug ads, porn videos, and suspicious links.

I thought that the automatic updates from Microsoft at least must be safe, and allowed them. But now my computer repair guy, Calvin, tells me that hackers even get into that system and send out phony “updates” with viruses included. A recent one has corrupted my Office 2007 programs, causing an “invalid copy” message to pop up every time I open one of them. Calvin says that the only way to fix it is to reload my Windows drivers and start fresh – at a charge of $80! That will have to wait, since I’m flat broke at the moment. At least that is only an inconvenience, but I will never again accept a “regularly scheduled update” from anyone.

And even here on my blog, which I have worked hard to make a positive, enlightening, and thoughtful bridge to the wide world, I receive an average of three hundred spam comments every day. It feels like such a violation to be prey to people trying to use my site to sell their stuff, and deleting them all is a huge waste of time. How annoying!

So now I’ve been forced to send a warning to everyone in my address book, and then wasted more time deleting old addresses (okay, I should have done it long ago!). But all of this is happening at a time when I need to be directing all of my attention to schoolwork and taking care of the cats on the sanctuary. My Internet time is limited to the few minutes I can grab between classes, and here I have to waste it cleaning up a mess caused by someone else’s maliciousness. Why do people feel the need to do this kind of thing?

Just today I heard a discussion on NPR which said that 79-80% of people have never or rarely clicked on any ad on the Internet. If legitimate advertisers face such enormous odds in getting people to view their ads, how can a spammer possibly think that his odds are any better? He’s wasting his own time as well as mine!

I think that this is about the most opinionated and negative that I have ever been here, but I just felt like a rant for once. Gods spare us from computer-literate demons!

Copyright ©2010 Hillora Lang

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”
                                                                    — Emilie Buchwald

This quote awoke in me vivid memories of childhood. My earliest memory, around the age of three,  is of a book, one of those child’s Little Golden Books which was an excerpt from the classic Little House on the Prairie. I guess that it made such an impression on me because the girl in the story was named Laura, and my name was Lori. The mother was named Caroline, and that was my mother’s name. She rocked her daughter in a chair with flowers painted on the back, and so did my mother. I felt like it was my story, about me, in an older time.

My childhood was thankfully filled with books of all kinds. In our home there were bookcases in every room, with children’s books, adult’s books, science books, travel and humor and fiction and picture books. I grew up addicted to books, and remain so to this day. I remember a cabinet in the living room which ran the length of one wall; inside were a double row of books of all kinds, hundreds of them, and I spent many hours tucked inside that cupboard with the wide doors shut behind me, devouring books in the weak beam of a flashlight. What a wonderful childhood!

A love of reading is one of the most valuable traits a child can develop, one which will lead to a life filled with creativity and imagination, learning and discovery, intellect and education. Reading helps us learn to think, for ourselves and for others. Reading is an enormous gift, without which I would not be the person I am today.

I am deeply encouraged when I encounter the myriad of programs in existence today which work to put books in the hands of children. First Book, Books for Babies, and the like are grassroots efforts to encourage a love of reading in small children. Literacy programs in schools and libraries around the world teach parents to read so that they can read to their children. I met a woman recently who works with a program which collects used books to send to girls’ orphanages and boarding schools in India, to help teach girls to read and succeed in school, so that they can grow up and build stable lives for themselves. These girls from the lowest castes won’t be forced to support themselves as prostitutes, or face a slow death from starvation because they can’t earn a living, and all because someone recognized their need to learn to read.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, you can help a child to learn to read. Pass on your used books to someone who can use them, volunteer to read to kids in a library or after-school program, or just help the children in your family or neighborhood with their homework. Even those of us without the resources to donate money or supplies can help a child, just by reading to her for a half-hour a week.

If you are reading this, you, too, have a precious gift to share. And it will cost you nothing but time.

Copyright ©2010 Hillora Lang

We are born into this world with three possessions: our minds, our souls, and our bodies. If we are fortunate enough, we retain possession of all three throughout our lives. But it is all too common in this world, at this time, to lose control of all three.

If we are born into the wrong society, we may lose our minds to the control of fanatics, others’ prejudices, or judgmental people who spread their poison while we are too young to resist it. If we are unlucky we lose our souls to the religions of others, without ever having the opportunity to determine what our own true spiritual path might be. If we live in the wrong place, we may lose our bodies to slavers, sex traffickers, rapists, or forced marriages. In some places, we may be forced to devote our bodies to military service and war, even from an extremely young age.

I have lived a blessed life; my body, my mind, and my soul have always been my own. This is a rare and amazing thing, and I am truly thankful for my life. This realization came to me recently, with the news that my nephew Joseph’s wife, Stephanie, who developed lupus while pregnant with their daughter, is now in need of a liver transplant. Stephanie’s brother is a donor match, but he cannot stop drinking and so is unsuitable as a donor. Joseph’s brother, my nephew Rich, is a universal donor (due to his blood type) but I was told that he would need to stop smoking before he could be a donor, and that hasn’t happened yet. This made me wonder what my blood type is, and if I might be lucky enough to be a universal donor, too.

You see, the one thing which I own in this world which might be of use to someone else seems to be my body. Even if I am I not the right blood type or am otherwise unsuitable to be a liver donor, there’s no reason that I cannot donate my blood, to help save someone’s—anyone’s—life. For far too long I have avoided thinking about donating blood, but it’s past time for me to forget the excuses and just do it.

My first excuse came from a family tale, which held that my maternal grandmother became allergic to cats after donating blood. There is no reason to believe that this is true, but I have devoted my life to caring for these small animals and wouldn’t risk the same thing happening to me.

Okay, so that excuse realistically has no basis in fact. My second excuse was that I was severely anemic in high school, and couldn’t donate because I didn’t have enough iron in my blood. But that was centuries ago and not likely to still be an obstacle. Excuse number two out the window!

Excuse number three was by far the strongest. I had brain surgery many years ago, to remove a benign tumor, and the whole hospital experience left me with a deep-seated terror of needles, doctors, and anyone in a lab coat. It was years after having the surgery before I could even look at a doctor on a television program, let alone see one in person; and having an injection of any kind, from novocaine at the dentist to a flu shot, caused me to experience extreme discomfort and fear. But my brain surgery was twenty years ago, and I can’t allow that experience to control my reactions forever.

So I finally bit the bullet this week, and went to the local Red Cross clinic to donate blood for the first time. My iron level was fine; I am not allergic to cats after donating; and I got through the whole donation process without fainting, vomiting, or throwing a hysterical fit. I am still waiting to find out what my blood type is, and if I might qualify to offer a part of my liver to Stephanie for her transplant. But one thing I do know—in 56 days I can go back to the Red Cross and donate blood again. And I will do just that. This is my body, thank goodness, and I am fortunate to be able to donate a small part of it to save someone else’s life.

What a blessing this life is!

***Update 6/3/10

It turns out that my blood type is not the universal donor-type needed, so I am unable at this time to help Stephanie with her transplant. But I have been back to donate blood again, and it was far less terrifying the second time. Soon I’ll be an old hand at this!

Copyright © 2010 Hillora Lang

Well, it’s halfway through the Spring 2010 semester, and things are well under control at school. I am currently enrolled in two colleges simultaneously; I am taking seven courses, for a total of 21 credit hours; my grades at this point are mostly A’s, with possibly one B. So things are going pretty well on that front.

At the feral cat sanctuary things are going well, also. In January, we did a rabies re-vaccination clinic where we revaxed 46 cats. One of my own older cats, Loki, died in February after living with feline leukemia for several years. His roommate in my quarantine room, a long-haired black-and-white sanctuary cat I named Cupid, has been moved into the sanctuary trailer, so I finally have my spare bedroom back. Cupid is very happy with his relocation, and doing well. It’s always amazing to me how sweet-tempered and affectionate a feral cat can become, when housed in a “confined” situation (such as a single room) and forced to endure close contact with a human caretaker.

I have big plans for that spare room. I have been so crowded for so long, with all of my own rescued cats, that I haven’t had a “room of my own.” At last I will be able to set up my workroom with desk and worktable; my computer and printer will be easily accessible (no more cardboard boxes placed over them to keep the cats off!); and I can arrange all of my art supplies to be easily seen and located, so that I can get to work on my collage art. A gentleman I know actually praised my first feeble efforts, and questioned me about putting together a show at a local gallery. Now I’ll be able to work on my art enough to get some good pieces finished.

This is all a huge relief to me, and necessary as I approach the completion of my first college degree. I have been very stressed as I look towards the future and face the prospect of rejoining the world of the gainfully-employed. My worklife in the past has been such a miserable failure that it has left me rather gun-shy. I am trying to determine what my best future work will be, in order to be happy and fulfilled as well as to earn a comfortable living.

As a person with Asperger Syndrome, social interaction has been my biggest hurdle. So many people that I’ve encountered in my worklife have been unable to understand or accept me, or have been outright hostile. I think that I have grown a lot in my ability to deal with people, but these past encounters have left scars, I will admit. I dread the thought of having to reenter the workforce and deal with this hostility and lack of acceptance again. I was happiest when I was self-employed, running a small homebased business manufacturing and wholesaling handcrafted home accessories. I hope that I will be able to come up with another option for a successful homebased business, thus avoiding putting myself at the mercy of unknown future coworkers.

Right now I am mulling over many possible paths. I am currently enrolled in a web design class, and would love to be able to put what I’m learning to use. I have really loved my courses in library research, and the research components of my English and Humanities courses. I can see myself running an independent research firm, working for academics, doing secondary research into sociological issues, or historical issues. At a lower level, I think that I would be great at proofreading, editing, or indexing books, and with a few more specific courses could easily turn these skills into a viable business. The wonderful thing about an online business is that one’s potential customer base is enormous!

But I am certain that I whatever I do to earn a living will have to fit in around the commitment which I am making to complete my education. College is the best thing which I have done in my life, and I don’t intend to stop until I’m finished! I will end this life with at least three degrees, if not four (I really want that Master’s degree in Creative Writing!), and it is my ultimate goal to hold a published work of my own writing in my hands. I have been so blessed to have started on this path, and to have had the support and encouragement of a stalwart group of friends and acquaintances to keep me going. Even now I find it amazing that other people have such a strong belief in me and what I want to do, and I am eternally grateful for their compassionate presence in my life.

So, if you’re a friend who’s reading this, I’m doing great, and still fully committed to my goals. And if you’re a friend whom I haven’t met, I’m so glad that you are here reading this. It is such a blessing to me to be able to share my plans and goals with you, and maybe encourage you to dream big, too. It may seem impossible right now, but I can tell you that if you work hard, with a good heart, and always look beyond what you’re doing for yourself to what you can do for others in this world, then you can achieve amazing things.

If I could do it, then so can you!

Copyright © 2010 Hillora Lang