Making Change
by Cynthia Jones

...and a penny for your thoughts.

It seems like yesterday when I was a girl living at home, day dreaming about only God knows what when out of the corner of my eye I would catch a glimpse of my Dad. Coming back to reality, I would see the penny he held in his fingers. He would wait patiently for me to take the bribe and offer up what was on my mind. It always ended in me grunting at his gesture, taking his money, and most likely never giving him exactly what he waited to hear.

The creative mind. It is always moving, sometimes not so swiftly but on the go and to where we can not be sure until we arrive. That is too much for some, not enough for others, but the route traveled in most cases.

Just over three years ago David asked if I would be interested in writing an article for NetNacs! and the feature would be called LitKorner. I was so excited and it was the dreaming in me that made this endeavor so much fun. I dream all the time that we as a society will find a way to better our world. I believe we can do this more easily when introducing literature to our children, our neighbors, friends, the elderly and then work together to carry our message to other countries where children and especially young girls are surely deprived their right to an education. All of that was in my head and heart when David asked me to write an article for him.

When I wrote my bio I stated the following: 'There is so much power in one book and reading is fun! We must live that belief and encourage our children to do the same. For it is that fun in reading that steers us towards the more serious needs of the world. When we forget to read, we forget to imagine. When we forget to imagine, we forget to dream and have hopes for tomorrow. It is when we see our dreams as realities that we have faith in our future. Words can give us the aspirations we need to achieve higher goals. Our imagination can help us to create those goals and put them to mind set. What an amazing feat in such little creatures called words.'

I promised short stories, poetry, literary sites, authors, both renown and unknown, and what ever else we could find with words that would tease our minds. I hope I have lived up to that and given an article each month that introduced a book, an author or a reason for you to be excited about literacy and to do something to encourage another to embrace words, education and learning.

I have second guessed every article sent and felt concern about if I had offered up enough of what anyone would want to hear.

This month is the last LitKorner article that will be published on the NetNacs! site as David closes up shop. I will make an effort to continue the article and my drive to share the importance of literacy in any way that I can. It was left up to me rather I wanted to write a last article or not and there is absolutely no way I could not. This little spot has been golden for me and given more to me than what anyone will ever realize. Let me just say that the article has served me well and I feel I have grown because of the efforts that I put into each piece.

Before I end this one, I would like to remind you about First Book. Book Relief gives children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. This summer, First Book along with Random House celebrated 'Literacy and Justice For All' in Louisiana and across the country by distributing 150,000 books throughout Louisiana. Please consider donating to this organization that strives for all children to have the same opportunity for literacy.