U.S.A. = Freedom of Choice

It was an unusually warm, fall day and I was glad that I had worn a summer-weight suit.  Amid the hustle and bustle of returning students, I carefully drove along campus streets, found a coveted parking space and made my way to the student union building on the University of Pittsburgh college campus, navigating around students and staff who little knew the special occasion being celebrated there that day.  I was just one of many coming to witness the August 29^th naturalization ceremony for my friend and 101 others who had completed the requirements to become American citizens.

They came from all over the globe.  From Canada to China, Argentina to Uzbekistan.  They came for new opportunities, or to escape political and personal oppression.  There to witness the event were family and friends.  Immigration Services Officers officiated.  Even President Obama was there, in a pre-recorded welcome for the new citizens.

The program opened with the National Anthem.  After listening to several speeches, they received their much-anticipated citizenship papers.  It was a moving ceremony, as each announced recipient made his or her way down a line of officials handing out papers, handshakes and tiny American flags.

Then we all recited the Pledge of Allegiance, both old citizens and new.  The words to the Pledge rang clear and true.  “Liberty and Justice for all” were unfamiliar concepts to many of these new citizens.  And this old citizen found new meaning in the typically mumbled and worn out phrases.

Then, carefully clutching their hard-earned citizenship papers, families clustered together to share hugs and tears.  Making their way to pre-selected locations around the venue, they took pictures before leaving to spend the rest of their first day on home soil.

During this election year there has been vicious talk about taxes, health care and unemployment.  Arguments and negative campaigning point out the faults of each candidate.  But how many really understand what a privilege it is to live in a country that allows the freedom to debate and disagree?  To vote for the candidate of their choice without governmental interference?  To speak out in public without fear of reprisal and, in fact , with the support of the government?  These 102 new citizens may not know it yet, but each day will bring new realizations.

How will these new citizens vote in the coming election?  I don’t know.  And I don’t need to know.  What I do know is that it’s their choice.  They’re Americans.

© Judy Beck, J.D. 2012

First Pennsylvania Woman to Earn Toastmasters International’s Speaking Accreditation

Tammy A. Miller of State College, Pennsylvania, originally from Toledo, Ohio, has earned Toastmasters International’s most prestigious title, Accredited Speaker. Miller is president and CEO of Tammy Speaks, LLC, and is the only professional female auctioneer in Centre County. She earned the esteemed Accredited Speaker designation at the Toastmasters International Convention in Orlando, Florida, Aug. 15-18.

The largest organization in the world dedicated to teaching communication and leadership skills development, Toastmasters launched the Accredited Speaker Program in 1981 to recognize its members who have mastered professional-level speaking skills. Only 65 people in the world have received the Accredited Speaker (AS) designation.

To become an Accredited Speaker, Miller met a rigorous set of requirements, including the presentation of at least 25 speeches before various non-Toastmaster audiences within three years. Miller was required to give two additional presentations to Toastmasters International that determined her final qualification for accreditation.

“I was giving a presentation in a class approximately 17 years ago,” says Miller. “I was speaking about a pencil that I was holding in my hand, and I was shaking so badly that I had to use both hands to put the pencil down on the lectern. I knew I needed help and someone suggested I check out an organization called Toastmasters. The rest, as they say, is history! This organization has changed my life!”

Miller serves as the Director of Communications for the Penn State Lunar Lion project — one of 30 team finalists in the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE competition to land a vehicle on the moon by 2015. www.lunarlion.psu.edu.  She is also an international speaker, the author of three books and a speech coach. She speaks to a wide variety of audiences including business leaders, entrepreneurs and cancer survivors. Her topics relate to leadership, presentation skills, motivation and the healing power of humor. www.tammyspeaks.com.  Additionally, she served on the Toastmasters International Board of Directors and is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a designation that recognizes the highest level of achievement within the organization.

To learn more about the Accredited Speaker program, please visit www.toastmasters.org/ASProgram.

# # #

About District 13

District 13 is one of 86 districts, which comprises more than 75 corporate and community clubs in western PA, northwestern WV, western MD, and the southeastern Ohio Valley. To learn more about District 13, please visit: www.d13tm.com.

About Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Founded in October 1924, the organization currently has more than 280,000 members in 13,500 clubs in 116 countries. Each week, Toastmasters helps more than a quarter million people of every ethnicity, education level and profession build their competence in communication so they can gain the confidence to lead others. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow Toastmasters International on Twitter @Toastmasters.

Wilkinsburg PA resident Twanda Clark advances to semifinals of the world’s largest speech contest

Twanda Clark, of Wilkinsburg, PA, rose above more than 1500 local participants to win the District level of the Toastmasters International Speech Contest, representing western PA, northwestern WV, western MD, and the southeastern Ohio Valley. Clark has qualified to advance to the semifinal rounds of the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking, which will be held in Orlando, Florida on Thursday, Aug. 16.

The Toastmasters International Speech Contest is the world’s largest speech contest, involving 30,000 participants in 116 countries. It concludes at the organization’s 2012 International Convention, held Aug. 15-18, in Orlando, Florida, at the Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort. Nine finalists will emerge from the semifinals, and they will compete in the finals on Saturday, Aug. 18, for the coveted title of Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking.

Clark, a member of the Penn Hills Club, http://1104.toastmastersclubs.org, in Penn Hills, PA, surpassed fierce competition to win the hearts of the audience and judges alike with her speech, ‘My Gift’. The speech touched on the themes of lessons learned and appreciating the people in our lives.  When it comes to connecting with an audience, she said, “The key is telling a story to which everyone can relate.”

Eighty-six district-level winners from around the world advanced to the semifinal round after a six-month process of elimination through club, area and district speech competitions. Their five-to-seven-minute speeches were judged on content, organization, gestures and style.

“Toastmasters speech contests are an opportunity to sharpen skills and gain competence as a public speaker,”says Clark. “I am looking forward to competing against speakers with diverse backgrounds and ideas in Orlando, Florida!” Clark is a foster care and adoption facilitator for Second Chance, Inc. and the Director of Communication and Education for her own business, Youthful Expression, in Pittsburgh PA.  Clark joined Toastmasters to become a better speaker and leader at work and in the community.

To contact Twanda Clark or learn more about the contest or Toastmasters club membership, contact Judy Beck, District 13 Public Relations Officer at d13pro@d13tm.com. Follow Toastmasters International on Twitter @Toastmasters (#TIConv12).

# # #

About District 13

District 13 is one of 86 districts, which comprises more than 75 corporate and community clubs in western PA, northwestern WV, western MD, and the southeastern Ohio Valley. To learn more about District 13, please visit: www.d13tm.com.

About Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Founded in October 1924, the organization currently has more than 270,000 members in 13,000 clubs in 116 countries. Each week, Toastmasters helps more than a quarter million people of every ethnicity, education and profession build their competence in communication so they can gain the confidence to lead others. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org.

 

Building Your Business Leads Bank, Part 3

Referrals, business networking leads, social networking leads and purchased leads have their strengths and drawbacks.  Now, I want to introduce you to leads that may not, at first, appear to be leads.  They are free, readily available, and don’t take much time initially, but require ingenuity and initiative on your part to gather and utilize.  First, you will need to have a good idea of your target market and the types of businesspeople you want to have as referral partners or mentors.  Once you have them clearly in mind, follow this three-step process.

Accumulate your leads (don’t spend much time on this, but be thorough)

1. Each day, make a quick pass through your junk mail.  Reject national companies or mail from those so unrelated to your business that you would never approach them.  Keep those that are “iffy.”
2. Keep all circulars and business publications in your mail or that you pick up.
3. When out and about, in one or two minutes assess any free brochures or circulars wherever you happen to be.  Take those that “might” be worthwhile.  These will be at the library, grocery store, doctor’s office waiting rooms, municipal buildings, community center, etc.  Be creative.
4. Local event announcements; keep all, unless definitely something you would not attend.
5. Stop by target businesses or businesses which you think your target clients would use.  Pick up business cards/brochures.

Assess your leads (keep it lighthearted, but focused)

1. Find a place near your TV chair to stack your “finds.”
2. Assemble a pen, scissors, highlighter, post-it notes, stapler and paper clips.
3. At least once a week, while you are watching TV, use the time during commercials to whittle down the leads.
4. Take a little bit longer to assess those leads that were “iffy.”  Ask yourself if you will really follow-up on them.  If you aren’t sure, toss them.  Don’t keep a stack of “maybe’s.”
5. Go through each circular and brochure and circle with your pen, cut out, tag or highlight businesses or people that you intend to contact.  Paperclip or staple contacts from the same source together so you can reference it when making contact.
6. Expect to get, at most, ten good leads a week using this method.  Exception: a business list or brochure with a list of people or businesses that you can target.

Act on your leads (be persistent and have fun with it)

1. Do a little research, e.g. LinkedIn, manta.com, listed business website.  This will help you toss, or keep, some of the “iffy” leads.
2. Contact the companies based on cost and time constraints, but try more than one method until you see what works best for you, e.g. letter, email, walk in.
3. Be consistent in the action(s) you take and give your chosen method(s) time to bring results.
4. Make no more than three attempts to establish contact, then toss them.

Of all the types of leads, these are least likely to lead to an immediate appointment but:

• Because it is unexpected, the person may not be on  guard and may appreciate your initiative.
• You will become more familiar with your chosen territory and can use that information when talking to other prospects.
• You can use the community information to build more complicated referral relationships, e.g. lawyer, accountant, financial advisor, reference librarian, community center director.

You will need to use a unique approach and have a specific objective, ideally a non-sale idea.  Give out a small item as a way to introduce yourself, or be direct and say you are looking for a referral partner.  Sometimes a market survey approach is the least threatening and can gather valuable information.  It is a good way to “test the waters.”  Results can take a long time, but will entrench you in the community.

I am interested to hear whether other entrepreneurs think this is a viable lead source, or a waste of time.  I’d also like to know if this three-part article has been informative.  Also, if you have used another process for acquiring leads, let me know.

Pablo Neruda, the Odiest Odeler

In 2004, I was unemployed for a few months.  Along with applying for jobs, I decided to keep busy rather than mope and become depressed.  I had seen a little of Pablo Neruda’s poetry in 2003, and decided to look further.  I read several of his books and decided that his odes were beautiful and unique.

An ode is a type of lyrical verse, an elaborately structured poem praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally.  See Wikipedia for more information.

In my opinion, Pablo Neruda perfected the art of the ode.  Neruda, originally Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto (1904-1973), was a poet and diplomat of Chile.  He also won the 1971 Nobel Prize for Literature. Neruda was a precocious and prolific poet.  His wrote his first poems when he was just ten years old.

Neruda’s description of a variety of commonplace objects through odes, is a triumph of this art form.  While Neruda also wrote surrealist poems, historical epics, overtly political manifestos, a prose autobiography, and erotically-charged love poems, I think that his odes are the best because they are about simple objects used by everyone.   In a series of short phrases, he constructed odes to such unlikely objects as socks, fried potatoes, ironing, a lemon, olive oil and a piano.  He wrote several books containing only odes, i.e., Odes to Common Things and Odes to Opposites.   His passion for the object of an ode made you wish he was speaking about you.

Inspiring, and sometimes surprising, Neruda’s odes stretch the limits of our conceptions of the subjects.  Advancing from one ode to the next, it seems that there just can’t be any more adjectives left to describe an object, yet he did it again and again.

Neruda’s Ode to Salt will give you a new appreciation for this simple flavor enhancer.

Ode to Salt

This salt

in the salt cellar

I once saw in the salt mines.

I know

you won’t

believe me

but

it sings

salt sings, the skin

of the salt mines

sings

with a mouth smothered

by the earth.

I shivered in those

solitudes

when I heard

the voice

of

the salt

in the desert.

Near Antofagasta

the nitrous

pampa

resounds:

a

broken

voice,

a mournful

song.

In its caves

the salt moans, mountain

of buried light,

translucent cathedral,

crystal of the sea, oblivion

of the waves.

And then on every table

in the world,

salt,

we see your piquant

powder

sprinkling

vital light

upon

our food.

Preserver

of the ancient

holds of ships,

discoverer

on

the high seas,

earliest

sailor

of the unknown, shifting

byways of the foam.

Dust of the sea, in you

the tongue receives a kiss

from ocean night:

taste imparts to every seasoned

dish your ocean essence;

the smallest,

miniature

wave from the saltcellar

reveals to us

more than domestic whiteness;

in it, we taste finitude.

Pablo Neruda

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/ode-to-salt/

Building Your Business Leads Bank, Part 2

In Part 1, I related my first formal networking experience.  Now, I’ll tell you the results.  Not surprisingly, now that I  have more experience, only one woman met me later.  She was one of the few I spent some time with.  As far as the emails, I only got two or three lukewarm responses and a few that were quite dismissive.  I have learned a lot since then about how to act at a networking event, as well as proper follow-up.

In this part, I will summarize four lead sources as a preliminary to Part 3, in which I will tell you about a lead source for which I created a process.  That lead source is free, readily available, and doesn’t take much time initially, but requires ingenuity and initiative on your part to gather and utilize.

Referrals from family, friends and satisfied customers/clients are the Mt. Everest of leads to which all salespeople aspire because they have the lowest cost and highest likelihood of success.  Referrals are hard to get when first starting out when you have no customer base.  Also, getting a referral depends on the strength of the referrer/referee connection and how well the referrer can explain why the referee should meet with you.  You don’t have any control over factor one, and may not have control over factor two, unless you can teach your family, friends and clients how to effectively refer you (there are several books and classes on just this point).  This takes effort, know-how and their willingness to learn.  A new entrepreneur is just learning how to present him or herself, much less teach others how to do so.

Business networking has two aspects; in-person and through social media.  It has moderate success in producing leads, and require consistent effort.  Both parties are eager to have an opportunity to make a presentation.  At a networking event, you can control how you present yourself, but must quickly and skillfully make a good impression.  This takes practice.  Also, you can only make a few quality connections at each networking event.  Through social media, you have limited exposure to prospects, unless you meet one-on-one.  The likelihood of direct sales with business networking contacts is low, but you will build a network of referral partners and mentors.  LinkedIn, Facebook and local organizations with periodic meetings fall into this category.  There are costs in time and money involved and it takes typically 6 to 12 months of sustained contact to get referrals.  Just as you want to only refer people you know, like and trust, the other party has the same concerns.

Social networking organizations and events are great ways to meet people, but you don’t want to appear to be there solely in order to make a sale.  Choose only those social networking groups which you would join even if you weren’t in sales.  It will take a lot of time for the relationship to build before you ask for an appointment or referrals. It’s not surprising to take from 12 to 18 months to build useful contacts. because contact is sporadic.  However, you may find a helpful mentor through social networking.  If you do make a viable sales contact it can be huge, because once one person wants what you have to sell, the rest are more likely to follow.  Facebook and community-based groups fall into this category.

Purchased leads cost money that may be scarce when starting your business.  You can tailor the lead list to the appropriate demographics and purchase only as much as you can afford.  They are great for making cold calls, or for sending a mass mailing followed by a phone call.   It is imperative that you have a great opening phrase to grab the prospect’s attention; otherwise  the letter will go in the garbage or the next sound you hear will be silence.  The return on investment is typically 2-4%, but purchased leads will get you started prospecting when you need the practice, don’t have much business, or want to prospect in a new territory.

If you have any other lead sources, or comments about any of these sources, please comment.

Building Your Business Leads Bank, Part 1

There are two essential pieces to having a thriving business; being able to effectively promote your product or service, and having someone who will listen to your presentation.  You may have a great product and the skill to make a sale, but without someone in front of you, you can’t close the deal.  You need a good lead, one that results in an opportunity to present your product or service to a prospect.  Business leads come from many sources and vary in the investment of time and cost, and the likelihood of a return on investment.  There are plenty of books and classes that teach about lead sources, but I will be sharing tips about what I have learned “in the trenches.”

Before I tell you what I have learned about lead sources, I want to relate my first formal networking experience:

A newly-hired sales representative who had just moved back to Pittsburgh from Tennessee, I didn’t have many contacts.  My manager told me to find and go to networking events to meet prospects.  He made it sound simple.  To him, a room full of people was a roomful of prospective clients.

I researched Pittsburgh for networking opportunities using www.PittsburghBusinessCalendar.org, signed up electronically, mapped out the location and put it on my calendar.  On the day of the event, I told my manager where I was going and he sent me off with a thumbs-up gesture and a smile, encouraging me to go out and conquer.  Having been informed beforehand that there would be thirty-five women at the event, I made sure to take a large stack of business cards.

Arriving at an upscale restaurant, I was pleased to see a large room in sufficiently muted tones to promote conversation.  Being one of the first to arrive, I cased the room for the best seating location.  Pulling out my business cards, I laid a small stack next to my beautifully-laid place setting at a table for eight.  When one or two women came up to the table, I introduced myself in a few words and offered my business card, confidently expecting one in return.   I became impatient at the slowness of this process, and set out on the hunt.  Interrupting people at the next table, I quickly gave my name and thrust my card into their hands, demanding their business cards.  Pleading a wish not to interrupt further, I moved on to further victims.

In this way, over the course of a ten-minute introductory period planned for attendees to talk and get to know each other, I acquired over twenty business cards.  Once seated, I continued my kamikaze tactics and extracted business cards from the rest of my tablemates.  Each person was given a 30-45 seconds to give what I later learned was an elevator speech.  Hardly caring what I ate, I listened attentively and marked down those that I particularly wanted to contact after the event, all the while planning what I would say for my first elevator speech.  I cannot recall the exact words, but I am sure it was a self-serving speech that boasted of what I could provide for them and offering to meet, designed to make each woman rush up to me after lunch to make an appointment.

Returning to work, I reviewed my treasures.  Despite my best efforts, I had only obtained twenty-eight business cards and a few business brochures, sometimes duplicates.  As I had been taught, I proceeded to follow-up with everyone.  After creating a tempting email letter in which I explained that I was looking for referral partners and wanted to meet and learn more about their business, I sent it out in a mass email.  Then I sat back and waited for responses so that I could “reel” in new clients.

How many women came up to me after the lunch and wanted to make an appointment with me?  How many emails responses did I get?  Those of you in sales, probably know the answer.  In Part 2, I’ll tell you what happened, or didn’t.

The Miss Pittsburgh Beauty Pageant – A Different Kind of Pageant

When you think of beauty pageants, the pictures that may come to mind are either young children wearing make-up and inappropriately mature outfits, or a bunch of empty-headed, anorexic teenage girls.  But, that is not what you would have seen at The 2012 Miss Pittsburgh Summer Preliminary on Saturday, June 23^, 2012.  Instead, a supportive crowd of men and women, family and friends, watched as girls between ten and twenty-two, of various shapes and sizes, exhibited their confidence, inner strength and beauty.  Uniquely placed, the event was held on Pittsburgh Luxury Cruise Liner’s Fantasy Yacht and The Miss Pittsburgh Water Limo (www.pittsburghluxurycruises.com).   Rather than a competition, contenders were evaluated to determine if they qualified to compete in the Jr. Teen, Teen and Miss Division finals on Sunday, September 23, 2012, at 3:00 p.m. at the Sheraton-Station Square in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The guiding force for the pageant is Michele Alexander, Pittsburgh paralegal, tax & audit professional and business owner (www.JacksonParalegals.com).  She has owned and produced pageants since 1998. Her passion is “to operate a pageant system that focuses on the development and articulation of various skills at multiple levels while giving all contenders the opportunity to shine in ways they never knew possible.”

The girls and young women are taught pageant training competition basics and life skills using Ms. Alexander’s book, Preparation for Winners, Success for Life (available on www. amazon.com and http://www.winacrown.com).   Ms. Alexander is the owner of WinACrown, the company that produces the Miss Pittsburgh Pageant.  The mission of WinACrown, is “Empowerment …Self-Confidence…Self Esteem, accomplished through the Basics of Pageantry.” The focus is on “recognizing intelligence, beauty & talent” while “celebrating the young women in our community.”

Ms. Alexander is surrounded by talented artists and entrepreneurs who share her vision of empowering young women.  Pittsburgh TV personality Shirley Douglas was on hand to “warm up” the crowd as we waited for the competition to begin.  Judges were Rita Gregory, author and actress, Jessica Bassulto, public speaker and Miss Pittsburgh 1998, and Terri Berceli, talent agent and actress (tbtalent.com).  The entertainment was provided by Jazz Diva Patte Terrell, who sang a mix of blues and jazz that forcefully highlighted current social issues, and Hakim Rasheed, smooth singer of soul, R&B and alternative music.  Troi Simpson, owner of Steelmindz Entertainment Agency, has assisted Ms. Alexander with the pageant for five years.  Eric Gaines, talent agent and owner of Emage (OneFashionPlace.net), has been the pageant photographer for the last three years.   Stephanie Scarci, Miss Pittsburgh 2011, distributed crowns and sashes to the participants, as all qualified for the finals.

Captain Mark Schiller, part owner of Pittsburgh Luxury Cruises, sees the value of The Miss Pittsburgh Pageant.  He approached Ms. Alexander with the idea of having the pageant on his Water Limo “The Miss Pittsburgh,” because of the name similarity and to promote this innovative pageant style to  benefit his own daughters, now two and six.  If you agree with us that it is imperative for society to foster the growth of young girls into strong and successful women, go to www.winacrown.com and get involved in The Miss Pittsburgh Beauty Pageant, as an audience member, participant, or promoter.

Watermelon Day!

Laura woke all hot and sweaty, her first thought “Oh no, the air conditioning is broken again.”  When she saw that the outdoor thermometer already read 79 degrees at 7:00 a.m., Laura knew the day was going to be a scorcher.   Laura took a cooling shower and dressed for work, carefully choosing the thinnest garments.  Pulling her chestnut brown hair back into a low-hanging bun, she went to the kitchen for breakfast.  Surveying the refrigerator contents, she decided that a meal of bacon and eggs was too heavy.  She took out unflavored yogurt and fruit.  Laura cut strawberries into pieces and spooned them onto the yogurt, along with a handful of blueberries.  Instant iced coffee completed her selection.

Laura ate in her tiny-alcove-of-a-breakfast area, jockeying for room on the table to put her laptop so she could catch up on emails.  After deleting several emails touting goods and services she didn’t want, Laura opened an email from her brother, John.  Several months ago, after college, he had moved over 500 miles but promised to send weekly emails; they helped Laura feel she was still part of his life.  In his email today, John complained about his warehouse manager job (workers didn’t listen to him) and his latest girlfriend (he was sure she was the one), then asked how she was doing.

Laura paused after reading John’s email trying to decide how to reply.  She missed having him live nearby.  She thought about what they would be doing on a day like today when they were children.

Before their mother could wake them, Laura, eight, and John, six, were up and dressed.  They wore shorts, tank tops and sandals, knowing that it was going to be a hot summer day.  Laura got the milk and cereal while John got the bowls and spoons.  After quickly downing Sugar Pops, they grabbed a loaf of bread and headed outside.  “I want to go down to the lake,” said John.  “Sure, we’ll go there,” said Laura, ”but first I want to check on the puppies and see if they’ve opened their eyes.”  Waving goodbye to their mother, they left through the garage.

Just five days before, their mixed-collie mongrel, Sally, had birthed six fuzzy babies and she was still a bit skittish when anyone tried to touch them.  Laura carefully knelt down next to the big box inside the garage and gently ran her hand along Sally’s head saying, “It’s Ok Sally, we just want to visit your babies.”  Giving a low, but hesitant, growl Sally allowed first Laura, then John, to touch the puppies.  Their eyes were still closed but they nuzzled up to the warm little hands.

“Now, let’s go to the lake,” said John.  They raced down the street and turned left to the lake.  Walking along the edge of the lake, they looked for fish hiding at the edge in the shadows of big trees.  Every time they saw the dark, slightly undulating, fish bodies, they threw pieces of bread.  Sometimes there were so many fish, they piled in a frenzy on top of each other trying to get at the bread.  In this way, they walked a good way around the lake.

Laura wiped her sweaty brow with a dusty arm and looked up, only to realize how far they were from home.  She didn’t see any roads coming down to the lake.  At the same time, John said, “I’m so thirsty Sis.  Can I drink the water in the lake?”  “Oh no,” said Laura, “we can’t do that and I am so hot and tired that I don’t want to walk all the way back around the lake.”  While they were talking, an elderly woman popped her blue-grey head up over an ivy-covered fence.  Smiling gently, she offered “If you want a drink of water, I can help you.”  At first Laura was going to run because she knew to avoid strangers, but then she recognized her as a woman her parents talked to at church.  “Yes, please,“ she said relievedly.  “I’m Mrs. Sams.  Aren’t you the Brown children?” the woman asked.  “Yep, that’s us,” said John.

Indicating where the children could enter, Mrs. Sams, led them around the fence and into her backyard.  Laura’s eyes widened when she saw that the yard was planted from one end to the other with watermelons.  John eyes got big and he said, “Boy, they’re big.”   “This is my hobby,” said Mrs. Sams. “I sell them to raise money for church missions, but I can spare one for a hungry little boy and girl.”

After calling their parents, Mrs. Sams sat them down in her air-conditioned kitchen and let them eat as much watermelon as they wanted.  They were so hungry and thirsty they ate and ate.  By the time their parents came, both Laura and John were so full that they couldn’t eat their dinners.  Both groaned with  stomach aches.   Any time after that if one of them complained of eating too much, or wanted to get the other to groan in mock distress, the simple cry “Watermelon Day” did the trick.

Laura shook herself back to the present and started her reply to John.  It took very little time.  In the “Re:” line she put “Remember” and in the body she put “Watermelon Day!  Tag, you’re it.”  Smiling to herself, Laura grabbed her briefcase and ran out the door to catch her bus to work.

Laura’s Waiting

Laura was hiding behind boxes in her basement.  She was playing hide ‘n’ seek with her friends Mary, Amy and Josh.  Josh was “it.”  In her six-year old mind, she felt like she had been waiting for a long time.  Laura silently chuckled, holding her hand over her mouth.  She was pleased that she had picked such a good hiding place.  If Josh didn’t find her soon, she was going to sneak out and try to win by getting to home base without being caught.

It was quiet and warm in the basement.  Laura started to feel herself getting sleepy.  She struggled to stay awake, straining to hear Josh coming to find her.  This reminded her of when she was four and Mommy and Daddy had gone away and come back with John, her younger brother.

Daddy had left her with Aunt Barbara.  Aunt Barbara put Laura on the big bed in her bedroom.   “But I don’t want to take a nap Aunt Barbara,” said Laura.  “I don’t have any toys for you to play with so you’re just going to have to take a nap,” said Aunt Barbara.  After Aunt Barbara left and closed the door, Laura got off the bed and looked for something to play with.  She pulled clothes out of the drawers and looked under the bed.  She found a box of colors, like her watercolors.  Using her fingers, she painted a picture onto the mirror behind the bedroom door.  She knew Aunt Barbara would like it because she already had Laura’s watercolor pictures on her refrigerator.  Then she opened the closet door and found lots of blue, red and black high heels.  After trying on all the shoes and leaving them all over the bedroom, she started pulling down Aunt Barbara’s pretty dresses.  She wanted to look pretty for Mommy and Daddy when they came back to get her.  Laura found a blue, shiny dress.  She put in on and found shoes.  Then she sat on the bed to wait.   She must’ve fallen asleep because the next thing she knew Daddy and Aunt Barbara were in the room.

“What did you do in here?” wailed Aunt Barbara.  “I made you a pretty picture, Aunt Barbara,” said Laura as she pointed to the mirror.  “Daddy, do you like my pretty dress?” she asked Daddy.  Daddy quickly picked her up and left the bedroom, leaving Aunt Barbara frantically picking up make-up, shoes and clothes.

When they got home, Mommy was holding a baby.  It was so tiny.  “This is your new brother, John,” said Mommy.  They wouldn’t let her hold John, but she gently touched his hand and hair.  When she reached to touch his hand, John latched onto her finger and wouldn’t let go.

Suddenly, six-year-old Laura heard the noise of someone coming down the basement stairs.  She held her breath and stayed very still.  Then her Daddy called out, “Laura, it’s time for dinner.  All your friends have gone home.  Time to come out.”  Laura straightened up and came out from behind the boxes, hungry for her dinner.