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Make a Wish, Take a Wish

Baby Smiling in Back Seat knows just how to push a hormonal girl over the edge.  She sent me this video of Rayna Ford who was pulled out of the audience by Paul Simon to play his song.  As in, he handed her his guitar and asked her to play “Duncan.”

It’s incredibly emotional to watch and by the second minute, I was crying for her, especially seeing her hands shaking and how she found her groove with the song, settled into the melody and her tears of disbelief as Paul Simon walks around right behind her.  Her deep breaths when he touches her back.  It must have been dream-like to be on stage.

It’s such a simple thing — all he did was bring her on stage.  But this tiny action made such a huge impact; obviously in Rayna Ford’s life, but also in all the people who witnessed it and had to acknowledge that every once in a while, dreams come true.

This doesn’t fall into the realm of miracle; this is hardly the meeting place of luck and chance.  This is just a person, realizing they could fulfill someone else’s dream, and then doing it.  There are so many things that are out of our control, the huge wishes that no one can fulfill for us (and I’m certain everyone who reads this blog has one of those in their heart at this moment), but it is no less meaningful when we get a small thing that we want.  It is sometimes enough just to know that another person in the universe heard us and tried to make our dream come true (I still wonder whatever became of Anna Bieniak and her art).

I’ve been asking you since last Thursday to fulfill my dream.  My book, Life from Scratch, is currently in the 200’s on the Kindle list and I’ve been asking for your help to bring it to #1 (which I’ve currently revised to be at least in the top 100) by Tweeting it, Facebooking it, blogging about it, telling your friends.

I know it’s a bit silly; I’m ecstatic with it being in the 200’s and realistically, it’s just a number. BUT every time I see a tweet or someone emails me to tell me that they’ve emailed their friends, it makes this huge difference.  It’s like Paul Simon dragging me onto the stage.  It’s another human being telling me with their actions that they care; that they can fulfill my wish and therefore, they’re fulfilling my wish.  Not because they get anything out of it, but because they care if I care simply because we’re both humans.

So that’s my wish.  There’s still another week of this promotion. (It’s only $2.99!  Less than a beer at most bars.  Less than a movie ticket or a frappuccino or a bag of flour.)  I’d love you to help me spread word and get the book down into the top 100 on Kindle.  It means the world to me and thank you to everyone who has helped so far.

Therefore, I’m going to encourage you to leave a wish and take a wish (if you can).  I’ve already stated mine, but what is yours?  Not the enormous wishes that people can’t fulfill, but the tiny ones.  Who knows what connections lurk out there in the blogosphere?  Which person has a Google alert on themselves who will read your comment and step forward with your request?  Who knows what items a person has lying around their house they could send along? Who wants votes for a contest that you can collect simply by stating your heart.  Is there a post that you wish everyone would read and comment on?

This is really blogging at its best.  Of being each other’s Paul Simon’s yanking each other onto the figurative stage as we read each other’s words.

So which wish of yours can I fulfill?  And can you fulfill mine?

22 comments

1 jodifur { 06.08.11 at 7:52 am }

Well, I blogged about Life From Scratch when it first came out, and I’m happy to continue telling people how much I loved the book, because I did!

I want a new job.

2 LJ { 06.08.11 at 7:57 am }

I’ll keep pimping the book, maybe I’ll find which of my friends have kindles and get them their own copies as gifts. My wish is to hear about a potential adoption situation today. I would wish for the children, but I really want the parents to make the right choice for them, whatever it is.

3 Vee { 06.08.11 at 7:58 am }

Thanks for reminding me. I will get onto it, promise. I want your wish to come true!

I wish for a new home, real soon.

4 Lynn { 06.08.11 at 9:21 am }

I posted the link on my FB just now, Mel! Thanks for reminding me! I’ll have to post it on Twitter tonight because my phone is playing silly buggers today and my work computer blocks Twitter (guess I shouldn’t be on there, huh? Lol!)

My wish is a fairly simple one (Oh, there are lots of less simple ones….a baby, a new job, a new house….but those things are out of reach for the moment) – I am two posts away from 200 posts and I am 4 followers away from 100 followers. I would love to have 100 blog followers by the time I get to my 200th post! That would make my wish come true….for this week at least 😉

5 Quiet Dreams { 06.08.11 at 9:46 am }

Just FB’d it!

6 A.M.S { 06.08.11 at 10:39 am }

My wish is for my grandfather to find a bed in a nice long term care facility where his dementia can be evaluated and unscrupulous people can no longer take advantage of him and the little bit of money he has. My mother has been working for weeks to find a place for him. We thought she’d found a temporary place last week, but Monday the hospital lost its funding for the long term geriatric care ward and all the patients have 10 days to find somewhere else to go.

7 Seriously?! { 06.08.11 at 1:17 pm }

I’ll throw it out there on FB again! 😉 Definitely easy to do for you! What an easy wish to grant!!!

As for me, I’d love to be able to wish for me to be happy with what we’ve got…today. So much the past few years has been about what we don’t have, a baby, the right job for my husband, floods of cash, money for the adoption etc., it goes on and on.

So I wish to stop worrying and be ‘ok’ with whatever life presents me with…today. What is a mantra I can live by…and believe?????

8 Keiko { 06.08.11 at 1:51 pm }

Alrighty – I’ll bite 🙂 I’ll trade your wish for your Kindle ranking for my wish to gather 1000 votes on 1000Women.com.

It’s a women’s health movement social media experiment thing, and I just the bragging rights to say I got 1,000 people to support infertility awareness.

If folks want to vote (yes you must register but you can opt out of any emails), they can do so here:

Vote for Infertility Awareness on 1000Women.com!

Alrighty, I’m off to add a link to your book on my blog sidebar and tweet out some love for Life from Scratch 🙂

9 Gail { 06.08.11 at 3:17 pm }

Jodifur- What kind of job do you want? What state (country?) do you live in?

Lynn – I added myself as a follower and I think you are now over 100. Congratulations!

Keiki – I already voted, so I can’t vote again. Good luck!

Mel – I will add a post on Facebook about the book for you. I loved it, so others should definitely read it!

My wish is to get a massage. A nice, long, professional massage.

10 Chickenpig { 06.08.11 at 4:00 pm }

I want to help you Mel, sooo much, but other than buying the book and reviewing it and telling people about it I’m at a loss. Another commenter mentioned purchasing the Kindle edition as a gift. I know someone with a Kindle, how can I give LFS as a Kindle editon to someone else? Can I do it without having their account info?

My attainable wish (vrs the not really attainable) is to find good paint colors for my parlor and dining room. Does anyone have paint colors in the buttery yellow and/or light blue pallets that they lovey love that I can check out? Any brand…and it has to be still in production. I have tried more samples than you can imagine as well as creating my own and I’m very frustrated at this point.

11 Seriously?! { 06.08.11 at 5:06 pm }

Sorry, just changed my blog URL in case anyone wants to pop by with some words of wisdom! Mel, book has been shared on FB again! 😉

Wishing you guys all the best. Ugh, some of those wishes are heart wrenching!

COME ON UNIVERSE!!!

May the granting begin!!!

12 Jess { 06.08.11 at 7:49 pm }

I found your blog recently and started reading, but this is my first time commenting. I love the idea of being able to help make someone’s wish come true so I just purchased a Kindle edition of LFS for my sister – it looks like you are up to #55!

For chickenpig, a couple colors you might try (all Benjamin Moore – if you get one of their color strips, another place can often match the color for less)… We had Concord Ivory in our last home’s living room and it’s a nice buttery yellow – I loved it. For blues, I also love Yarmouth Blue (a little darker than light blue) and Under the Big Top (or something like that). Good luck finding a good color!

A.M.S., I sent you an email through your blog link.

Happy wishing everyone!

13 a { 06.08.11 at 10:49 pm }

@Chickenpig – you can find the right color! Here’s what helped me: Get a large square of the whitest white sample they have, and cut out a square in the middle of the sample swatch. Place that over any colors you like, and it will give you a good idea of what it will actually look like on your wall. If you want to compare colors, place them side by side in the square. Thanks Home Depot Lady who helped me pick my paint colors!

I would say my life is pretty full now, so I can’t think of a wish…

14 Mali { 06.08.11 at 11:23 pm }

I bought your book when it first came out, and really enjoyed it Mel. I don’t know many with a Kindle (or iPad or similar cos you can use the Kindle aps), but will Facebook it as I have lots of US-based friends!

I have three blogs – an everyday blog and an infertility blog (No Kidding in NZ). and a travel blog. My wish is that my little travelalphablog (an A to Z of travel – places I’ve been and other topics on travel) gets more readers and commenters. So I thank you for this opportunity to promote it unashamedly!

15 Mijk { 06.09.11 at 5:43 am }

Check out this list of wishes… http://alicepyne.blogspot.com/
It is so lovely to see this girl take charge and like you spread her wishes….

16 md { 06.09.11 at 7:04 am }

i’ve spread the word on fb, and i sincerely hope your wish comes true soon 🙂

my wish is to make friends, connections in this new city.. anyone reading this from bombay?!

17 Elizabeth { 06.09.11 at 7:52 am }

Wish I could get a full night’s sleep. Thankful for the baby that keeps waking me up though! Wouldn’t dream of trading.

Will tweet and FB today – love you!

18 Sandy P { 06.09.11 at 9:51 am }

I will definately be getting Life from Scratch and spreading the word. I have read Navigating the Land of IF and loved it! My wish is for a baby, to become the mother I feel in my heart that I’m suppose to be. But I know realistically since most of us are in the same boat this isn’t really something any of you can help with. So for now some positive thoughts and more followers on my blog would be nicehttp://herestoabetteryear.blogspot.com/

Jodifur-What kind of job and where do you live? I’m a career counselor in MI so I may be able to help you.

Lynn-I will start following your blog

Keiko-I’m voting!

Mali-I will start following your blog

For the rest of you your wishes are out of my control but I’m sending positive thoughts your way and hope all of your wishes come true!

19 Chickenpig { 06.09.11 at 4:31 pm }

Thank you, Jess and thank you a. I have no trouble deciding if I will like a color on my wall, I buy cheap paint samples and paint it on the wall itself, one square on each wall to see how the light affects it. It is finding one that works that is not happening for me. Both rooms are looking like patch work quilts at this point. 🙂

20 Baby Smiling In Back Seat { 06.09.11 at 7:04 pm }

Amazing to go back to your 2008 wish post. I know that mine and many others’ came true, and I also know that many others did not — either not yet, or cannot ever.

Honestly there are certainly things that I would like to change but I got my big wish in life (x2) so I will leave the wishing to others now.

The Rayna video reminded me of you in so many ways.

21 coffeegrl { 06.09.11 at 7:41 pm }

Facebooked it! My wish….I wish that I could meet you in person one day; I think that would be awesome. 🙂

22 Lori Lavender Luz { 06.10.11 at 3:34 pm }

#58, baby!

I got my mom a copy 🙂

The effect that your post on Delayed Wish Grantification had on my was profound. *namaste-nod*

I just used my platform for good.

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