Fairy Godmother

The world doesn’t revolve around you! That’s what my family has been telling me all my life - as a teenager it is hard for me to understand that what’s important to me, isn’t really that important to the rest of my family.

Here I am, day dreaming again about what it would be like to be a film star, a rock singer, a radio broadcaster.....anything but who I am. I don’t want to be just a student in high school, going to classes and expected to be able to determine what I want to be “when I grow up”.

I want to dream and to have the chance to make those dreams come true! Who say’s that it can’t happen? Growing up isn’t easy, but it’s a heck of lot easier when we can dream about the future and think about the what if is......

What if they were making a movie on my street and they needed someone who looked just like me? What if they were organizing a concert and the rock singer needed a back up with a voice like mine? What if the local radio station held a contest and I was chosen to fill in for a day? What if.........it must happen to someone somewhere, why can’t it happen to me?

It’s Tuesday, and there is a speaker coming to talk to us at school. It’s about career choices and it will probably be the same speech we always hear. “Choose your career based on your strengths and your academic expertise!” Who cares?

We all marched into the auditorium, sat down and waited, like robots for the speaker to begin, to tell us again about our choices and our options......dull and boring!

The speaker didn’t look any different then all the other speakers we had seen, but she did something different, she stood on the stage just looking at us, almost like she was studying us, taking the time to see who we really were. She came down the stairs and started to introduce herself to some of the kids in the first few rows, shaking their hand, looking them in the eye and asking them questions. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but the kids sure looked like they were enjoying the conversation!

The speaker went back on the stage, adjusted the microphone and began to speak. She actually looked at us, and she told us a story. The story was about a young boy who was in her audience a long time ago. It was about how the young boy was brave enough to ask for what he wanted and how because he wasn’t afraid to ask, he got what he asked for. Wow, I wonder if that could work for me?

The speaker was looking at all of us and all of a sudden she was looking at me! She stepped down from the stage again and walked towards me. She stopped, extended her hand and “I am your Fairy Godmother and I can grant your any wish. “How can I help you?”

I took her hand, shook it and decided to take the leap..........."I want to be a movie star, or maybe a rock singer or a radio broadcaster", I said all in one breath. My heart was pounding, my palms were sweating, but I felt very brave, I had finally put words to my wishes. She looked at me, seemed to consider what I had just said then she turned to all of my friends and colleagues in the room and said, “Who do you know?” Who do you know that might be connected to film, music or media?”

She began to talk, not about me, but about how everyone has dreams and that dreams can come true with the help of a team......and the team she was going to work with was right here in this auditorium! She started to think about who she knew and began giving me ideas and contacts that would give me the link I needed to find out if any of my dream careers were possible. She introduced me to associations that had mentor programs for young students like myself. In film and television, in radio and broadcasting and it art and entertainment. She provided me with not for profit associations that needed volunteers in all of the areas I was interested in, and she introduced me to some of the service clubs that have programs for students to help them achieve their goals.

She showed by example how we could help each other and all of a sudden hands were waving all over the auditorium. Students were shouting out who they knew, relatives, neighbors, friends - all easily accessible, and willing to share their knowledge and contacts with us.

I couldn’t believe what had just happened. In less than an hour, a group of young men and women had been given a lesson that none of us will ever forget. Dreams do come true! With the help of a team......it’s who you know, what they know and what we are willing to share that makes every dream a possible reality.

Will I be a singer, a broadcaster or a movie star? It’s hard to determine today, but I do know that I’m a few steps farther in my dream and it doesn’t seem as impossible as it did before I met my Fairy Godmother.

She did an amazing thing before she left the stage.... she said to all of us, “If you are brave enough to ask for what you want, and you are strong enough to follow up on those wants - I will help you, I will share my resources with you.”

The workshop was over and all of us surrounded her to get her business card and to make sure that we told her our dreams. She smiled at all of us and gave out her card, repeating over and over again - I can help you achieve your dreams.

I couldn’t wait to send her an email with my list of wishes - I wanted to see if I followed up, that my dreams would actually become a reality. I sent her the following email:

“Dear Fairy Godmother;

I am in grade 10 and I was in your audience today. I am the girl who wanted to be a singer, movie star or broadcaster and you said you would help me. I want to believe that dreams do come true.
P.S. You were amazing, you know everyone!”

I couldn’t wait to see what my fairy godmother would do to help me.
Within a couple of days I received the following email. Congratulations, you did it! You took the leap and I will help you. Dreams do come true!

My fairy godmother provided me with a list of contacts in all of the areas that interested me, complete with names of what she called Mentors. People who would act as guides in my journey of discovery, is what she said. She gave me introductions to all of them through email and she asked me for what she called accountability. She said I had to offer to help each of the contacts before I asked for their help - to find out what they needed before I looked after my own wants. This was something new for me - I didn’t think I had anything of value to offer any of the people she introduced me to.

But, what the heck, I thought, I’ll give it a try. I connected with the first introduction and said “How can I help you?” The reply, surprisingly, was “Can you help me with my daughter?” I need someone to look after her for a few hours while I am in a meeting. This was easy for me and I had helped someone and fulfilled my obligation to my Fairy Godmother. Now it was my turn to ask ....... The contact proved to be a executive with one of the cable stations and she was able to offer me a volunteer position with the station. She said they always needed help - both behind the camera and in front of the camera. She said I could learn about broadcasting, film and even music, by volunteering with the station. Wow, the first contact and already I was on my way to achieving my dreams!

As I followed up on all the introductions, I learned a valuable lesson - Offer your help first, find out about the needs of others before you ask for your needs to be met. People like to help people, once they have established a rapport. I looked rapport up in the dictionary; it means “a harmonious and useful relationship.”

I am not sure if I will ever be a singer, a movie star or a broadcast journalist, but I know I can be, thanks to my Fairy Godmother.

She provided me with the tools I needed to help make my dreams come true. I will always carry her list with me and I will happily share it with everyone I meet.

Establish a rapport.
Ask for what you need.
Share your resources.
Be honest, accountable and sincere.
Conceive it, Believe it, Achieve it!

Dreams Do Come True!

- Donna Messer

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