ONE STEP AT A TIME

WHEN I WAS A CHILD WE KNEW POVERTY. I HELPED MY MOM OUT BECAUSE OUR FATHER DIED BEFORE MY SECOND BIRTHDAY. I OBSERVED A LOT AS A CHILD AND WAS EXPOSED TO VIOLENCE. WHEN I BECAME A TEENAGER I TRIED TO JOIN THE PEACE CORPS. I WAS DETERMINED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AS AN ADULT WHEN I BECAME A MOM I TOOK MY 6 WEEK OLD SON ON A MARCH FOR THE UNITED FARM WORKERS MOVEMENT WITH CESAR CHAVEZ. I BECAME AN ACTIVIST FROM THAT DAY FORWARD.

ONE STEP AT A TIME I LEARNED AND KEPT VIGIL OVER ISSUES THAT CONCERN EVERYONE. I HAD 3 SONS AND TAUGHT THEM THE SAME, I ENDED UP RAISING THEM ALONE FROM AGE 3 UP. .
MY BARRIERS WERE FINANCES, I HAVE NEVER OWNED A CAR, I AM FEMALE AND I HAVE BEEN DISABLED FOR NOW OVER 15 YEARS OR MORE. I WAS RAISED IN NEW YORK, WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL IN CALIFORNIA AND WORKED AND EDUCATED MYSELF IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. I HAVE FACED MAJOR MEDICAL CHALLENGES AND STILL DO. I AM NOW 63 AND COUNT PENNIES SOME DAYS. I SHARE ALL I HAVE AND I HAVE BEEN PUBLIC SPEAKING SINCE 1977 ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS INCLUDING ONE SPECIFIC TOPIC ( TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF VIOLENCE) WHICH WAS COVERED BY TV, RADIO AND NEWSPAPERS.
ONE STEP AT A TIME LED ME TO MANY PLACES, NEW IDEAS, NEW POSSIBILITIES AND NEW FRIENDS. ONE STEP AT A TIME LED ME TO WORLD PULSE.
I WORKED ON PROJECT LITERACY FOR DISABLED ADULTS AND WORKED WITH A 57 YEAR OLD DEVELOPMENTALLY CHALLENGED WOMAN. SHE LEARNED HOW TO WRITE HER NAME AND THE WORD BOOTS WHICH SHE WANTED. I WORKED WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM DISADVANTAGED SITUATIONS AND STILL DO.
THE REWARD IS IN THE DOING.
YEARS AGO I WOULD NOT HAVE SEEN WHAT THESE STEPS WOULD LEAD TO. I NOW KNOW IT HAS BEEN A VERY VALUABLE JOURNEY