FIVE + ONE + a very timely email. (LONG)

It's October 1st, 2009 -- no way.
YES way.
but first ...

WOW. I am so amazed by you. Your answers to ...
"Where will you be FIVE years from today?

Are so encouraging and inspiring. Your answers are absolute evidence that people have great desires to do good things. If I could I would set up some kind of PhD project that would follow each and every one of you and find out what moves you toward or away from these goals and dreams. Wouldn't that be fascinating?

Anyway, this was very hard to do, but I've selected five responses that I loved -- and I wasn't looking for any kind of response in particular. I was (again) wowed by the variety of responses and yet at the same time the common threads of serving and helping and making a difference. I decided to also post them in a free directory.

I sincerely loved them all, but here is...

ONE (from Lisa)
I would do what I'm doing now...wife, mother, ER Nurse, child of God, scrapbooker, scattering relentless positivity. With a few more laugh lines on my face

TWO (from Nanci)
In 5 years time, I will be a children's book author making a huge difference in the lives of many children and their parents. Empowering kids in living their lives fully and that they have full self expression and happiness and joy and power in life! For them to live their dreams, and to have the people who read the stories to them be inspired by what is possible in life. That is what I would do if time and money are no issue - and I am going to take that on now!!

THREE (from Cheri)
When you take time and money out of the equation, dreams can really be BIG! Five years from now my oldest will be out of college and onto her first job, my next two will be IN college and since money is no problem, they can go to whatever college they choose. Both DH and I will have given up our corporate day jobs. He'll have found some pursuit or hobby that really fulfills him and makes him happy. I'll be splitting my free time between creative endeavors at my beachfront property in Maui (tai chi on the beach, scrapbooking, painting, reading) and traveling the world doing volunteer work wherever the spirit moves me, but still being readily available to my newly minted young adult children.

FOUR (from Michelle)
If money and time were no object, I would purchase one of the historic homes in my town and turn it into a creative arts center where all people (young, old, and in between) could have access to art materials and creating because I truly believe that everyone has the beauty of creativity living inside them.

FIVE (from Jay)
If money were no object: I would establish hundreds of nursing care, assisted living homes for people who need a HOME, not just a place to die. I would hire the most qualified, most passionate and the most caring people I could find and I would pay them highly. I would establish thousands of HOMES across the WORLD for neglected children. A place FILLED with LAUGHTER, LOVE and INSPIRATION. I would employ the most caring, loving, passionate foster parents and pay them highly. I would establish a program for our TEACHERS. It would be of a competitive nature and reward teachers for the HARD work and dedication they in turn give to our school children. Also, the pay scale for our teachers would increase 100% immediately. I would pay EVERY volunteer firefighter, police personal, etc. I would showcase their talents and dedication. I would CELEBRATE them. People in public service of this nature would get a HUGE pay increase immediately. I would honor EVERY active and retired military soldier. EVERY SINGLE ONE! Local schools and parks would be plastered with memorials of local soldiers and heros. I would purchase a fleet of vans for every faith-loving church in the WORLD to assist in every desiring person needing a way to build their spiritual faith. I would start an ad campaign that would have our society focus on EDUCATION not ENTERTAINMENT. Not too big a list for 5 years?

And finally ...

ONE WINNER: This comment was left by "M" and I think she could really use a boost. Life can be so overwelmingly challenging at times and when it seems there is NO way up or out -- think about the way AHEAD. Time really does heal and change us and anything can happen in FIVE years.

Oh Stacy thank you for this post. I am going through possibly the worst, the hardest time of my life right now. It is so hard to not think the entire rest of my life has been ruined as I stand here in the ashes. This caused me immense grief. But watching the movie here and seeing your post I was inspired to look beyond the next several days, weeks, months, or year, that will be so hard and emotionally devastating, and see that in 5 years I will hopefully have recovered and be fully situated in a new life and a new me. I keep planting seeds in the rubble and hoping they will grow but sometimes it's hard to care with all the devastation around me. If time and money were not objects in 5 years I would have my PhD and be working and teaching and writing in my field of choice. And I will have lots and lots of scrapbook pages and projects completed that document my journey in this life.

M,
Please email me ([email protected]) and I'll send you your book!

Now ... some personal thoughts.
Five years ago (2004), I had just barely heard of blogs and blogging. I had no idea that I would ever want one or that I would LOVE having one. I didn't know that blogging would help me connect and relate to women across the world or that more importantly it would help me connect and relate to the woman inside my head. Five years ago, I was just stepping back from my role as editor in chief at Simple Scrapbooks magazine. My book, The Big Picture and Big Picture Scrapbooking were just a *twinkle* in my eye as they say -- hard to imagine that two of the things I focus much of my time and energy on today, didn't exist five years ago.Another thing that I focus my time on (Addie) didn't exist either -- not even the idea of Addie existed and now I can't imagine NOT having her.

Five years before that (1999), I was a happy reader of Creating Keepsakes magazine -- but I was also overwhelmed and felt like "scrapbooking" had become so artistic that it demanded way MORE than I could give. I began to formulate some new ideas and approaches to making scrapbooks (smaller theme albums) and I began storing my pictures in boxes by category. Simple Scrapbooks the book and Simple Scrapbooks the magazine were just around the corner, but I had NO idea!

LAST WEEK I received a very timely email from Betsy in Ohio.  I didn't read this email until YESTERDAY:

Hello Stacy,
 
I just wanted to say hello and tell you what a big fan I am of you!!  I really miss "Simple Scrapbooks".  Your philosophy on scrapbooking has been so meaningful to me- now I don't feel guilty because I will probably never "catch up".  (4 children,  youngest with autism, and a husband - good excuses to be lagging  behind) What internet sites would be helpful that would take the place of "Simple Scrapbooks" ? (i.e intructional,  material  ideas, and crop schedules and appearances.)
 
Thank you for being an inspiration!!

This is a great question Besty and I do have some suggestions:

1. Big Picture Scrapbooking. BPS was founded on the same philosophy of Simple Scrapbooks and it has grown to become a wonderful community of expert teachers and amazingly loyal and eager students who are friends and fellow scrapbookers. There is a wonderful class by Ali Edwards starting today! A good collection of sites is also at this link directory

2. Write.Click.Scrapbook. WCS is a relatively new inspiration collective (ie, blog and community) that was founded by three of the contributing editors to Simple Scrapbooks magazine. This site is a wonderful showcase of simple ideas derived from a sustainable approach. Be sure to check out the monthly gallery. October was posted today!

3. Ella Publishing. Ella, founded by Angie Lucas (managing editor at SS) and Lain Ehmann (contributing editor at SS) is yet another site that supports and promotes the *simple* philosophy. Ella is a brand new publisher of eBooks as well as an ezine -- in fact, Lain and I co-authored a book that is due out in November, so you can watch for that!

So, Five years from now? Hmm. I wonder if what I've poured so much of my recent time and effort into will even exist?  I hope so -- but I also know that based on the past, it is unlikely to stay what it is today for very long. Time and life have a way of moving us forward and revealing new challenges and opportunities that inevitably shape and change our future.

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