Oh, the people I meet on this long writing road.
Some have lifted my spirit and lightened my load.
They point me toward wisdom when I’m feeling lost,
And their words are treasures with little earthly cost.
There was Cec with his smile. “Write articles? Well, yes.”
And that nudge set in motion the subsequent success—
Decades of aspiring writers whom he helped me to lead.
His encouragement brought growth from scattered seed.
Steve Laube was so honest. He wouldn’t let me drift.
Learning the truth about the market was his great gift.
Was my work truly saleable? Steve made the right call.
His candor, though bracing, has helped me stand tall.
My advanced physics teacher said something clever:
“If you’re not getting worse, then you’re getting better.”
The statement was so simple, yet it sparked my drive
So I can grow steadily for as long as I’m alive.
My teacher Reba Collins, with logic and math at hand,
Showed algebra’s beauty in ways I didn’t understand.
She opened the door to equations and wonderful fun—
A passion for mental patterns that was second to none.
A client once showed what faith really means:
To honor the Lord in all the in-betweens.
No matter the cost, he stayed true to his call—
A model of courage that still shapes me through it all.
My English teacher. What a tragic surprise.
She called me out boldly in front of all eyes.
But instead of collapsing in worries or fears,
I rose to the challenge and shifted gears.
Then there were helpers who gave without pay,
Supporting my mission in quiet array.
They sowed into others by lifting me up—
Their selfless devotion, a true overflow cup.
But life also brings tricksters with their schemes,
The hustlers who peddle such outrageous dreams.
But even these scammers, with all of their gall,
Have taught me good lessons. I thank them all.
Like back in the sixties—you might know the pitch—
A pyramid scheme was the easy way to get rich.
The “best loss I ever had” was costly but true,
Curing me of nonsense that was too good to pursue.
My debit card thieves, sneaky scoundrels at best,
Hit more than once with their mischievous zest.
But alerts now keep watch over each money move,
And three years scam-free is a fraud-fighting groove.
Then came the email hacker mimicking my friend,
A voice so convincing that didn’t seem to pretend.
Two hundred dollars disappeared like a song,
But justice came knocking and righted the wrong.
The scammers keep coming. Each message is the same.
They guarantee my success but know only my name.
I spot them in seconds—sloppy and bland—
The kind of “big offers” that only sound grand.
So helpers and hucksters, both play their part.
One grows my wisdom, the other my heart.
Some guide my steps forward, but others, beware.
Each one shapes my journey with lessons to share.
