Walking tall

My mother's always pestering me about my posture, and yeah, I do need to learn how to pull my shoulders back and push my sweater puppies out there. But today, whether you can tell by my outward appearance or not, I'm walking proud.

For the past few days, I've noticed that I have this new sensation -- the feeling that someday someone is going to walk down the same streets I do now, thinking "Rosella Eleanor LaFevre walked this pavement!"

The feeling was quite strong today after I left the offices of Mighty Writers, a nonprofit that runs an after-school program and workshops for inner-city kids ages five to 17. My trek to what was once a Barack Obama campaign office came after I emailed Executive Director Tim Whitaker, whom I've interviewed twice now, about teaching a workshop.

I first wrote about Mighty Writers for Philadelphia RowHome last spring and now I'm going to get involved with the program helping kids write. This is the coolest way to combine the three things I love most: writing, kids, and helping or teaching others.

So, after walking out of the building, I felt my insides sort of skipping along the street.

I'm going to be a big deal someday, I thought to myself. Someday, people are going to read my novels and memoirs and nonfiction books and consider me an inspiration. For now, I'll just work on my craft so I'm worthy of adoration.

My friend Stacy, of whom I've written once before, wrote on her Facebook today that she was in need of positive energy from her writer friends. Feeling as good as I do today, I tried to offer my best advice. What I wrote was this:

"I hope this plea isn't because you're freaked out by the nasty comments those one or two idiots left on your essay. Don't worry about those losers. You're a great writer. These low tides, the times when you doubt yourself, happen to the best of writers. The fear or discouragement you feel is what keeps you fighting and helps you come back stronger. If our words don't help you feel better, write about it! In fact, digging deep to express these feelings are what great writing is about."

These are the same words I'm going to tell myself when I hit the inevitable lows that I'm all too familiar with. It really applies to everything; if you're putting all of your heart into something, sure you might get down on yourself, but keep slogging through, 'cause someday you could be a big shot and other people will look to you when they're down and out.

image of 51-year-old model Ines De La Fressange on the Gaultier runway (2009) from Contrast