When no one else believes.
“My life changed the day my grandmother sent me a red potholder in the shape of the state of Texas. I’m not sure why she gave it to me but it was a piece of the puzzle of my life. I was a little boy who was unreachable. I didn’t speak often. I was so withdrawn institutionalization was possible and I didn’t even know that at the time. But I sat in the corner holding onto that potholder for dear life. I stared at it for hours and somehow I was able to put together the thought that there were other places to go.
My parents always managed to have money for vodka and cigarettes but they believed that travel was out of the question. They still do. Neither of them has ever had a passport. With 7 children at home, travel was seen as impossible, so my journeys were in my heart and in my head. I didn’t tell anyone for years because I knew they would attack my dreams. We had some secondhand glasses with maps of states and countries on them. I used them to focus on the idea there was a larger world out there. I promised myself I would go when I could.
By the time I was in high school I was brave enough to talk out loud about my dreams. It was exhausting to argue for my future. Everyone around me said I couldn’t possibly travel, especially alone. They said it was a stupid dream that could never come true.
I had to believe in myself without encouragement from anyone. It was lonely. I had to face disappointment and keep going. It took me years to prove I could do it. ”