My Path to Being a World Traveler was Not Easy

I hope you had a good week! Did you do anything nice for someone? They are called Random Acts of Kindness. Did you help someone pick up some papers that fell or help your neighbor get their trash can out or just give a hug to someone who is down....did you really listen to someone who needed to talk...even perhaps one of your family?

We can all do our little part to change our corner of the world. That's what I am doing here...trying to change a little corner of the world. I am just a little roach, an Enlightened Roach, but still pretty small and insignificant in the world's eyes. I have no money, no political power, no star status, none of that but I can still write these articles, with help from my human, Peter.

Words changed my life and words can change the life of others too. If my mom hadn't believed in me, I might have quit and ended up just like the rest of my kind. Words are powerful! Words can cut like a knife, words can wound and cause damage that lasts for years, words can inflict pain and mental anguish, and words can be used as swords.

Words can also be used to show love, to encourage, to instruct in a helpful way, to build up someone, to show care and concern and to say I love you. Words can be be beautiful.

How did you use your words last week?
How are you going to use them today and this week? To build up or destroy?

My path to reach my dream got pretty rough. I knew that I could not reach my dream from where I was living. All I had around me was a bunch of roaches that were intent on causing trouble. They were some of the worst buds around. Mom died that year too. She ate some roach poison meant for the others. As she was dying, she told me to leave then and there. She said get out and find a better place. I wasn't sure how to do that or where that was. I had always lived in Professor Ivan's house. How was I supposed to find a better place and see those wonderful places in the books? So I just started crawling out toward where I saw the professor leave everyday. It was pretty scary leaving the only place I had ever known. I missed my mum too. She had been my companion and teacher. She and I were the only ones of our kind that we knew of. Maybe if I could go to those places in the books, I would find another roach that looked like me. I sat there at the door for a long time, afraid to go any further. After many hours, I finally just started crawling out and under the doorway. The idea of staying there was much worse than what was out beyond that door.

When I got out there it was still light outside. I skittered in and out of things so not to be seen. It was huge out there. There were buildings one after another like the professors house but bigger...they went up toward the sky. There were big things that went very quickly back and forth. These fast moving things were different shapes and colors but all were moving faster than even a house roach can move. There were lots of humans like the professor but different. Some were taller or shorter, or darker, or bigger. I had never seen so many humans. Some had little creatures with them on a rope that went ahead of them. These little creatures made sharp barking noises and seemed to be at the command of the humans. I got so curious at all of it, I almost got stepped on. This all was pretty overwhelming. There were other creatures too, like me, but different in shape and size. I had no idea all this was just outside Professor Ivan's door. This was going to be a lot harder than I had ever imagined.

Time went quickly and I move ever so slowly. I was getting hungry too. I wanted to find someplace safe for the night so I crawled down this big place with walls on both sides. It lead eventually to a big box like thing with papers, trash, and food overflowing out of it. Wow, what I found there, was not what I usually ate but this food was better than none. When I went to eat , some big, mean roaches ran me off! This was their territory! So I skittered away and hid. I was learning fast that being different could be dangerous and that this new world was both wonderful and scary. I knew that this was not the place to find my dream.

Sometimes, you just have to do things in faith. Professor Ivan used that word a lot when he was not having a good day. He talked to himself a lot and to us. I just have to have faith, Professor Ivan would say to himself ..one step in front of the other..and I will get it. Believe me I know kind what he meant, because it takes me forever to get places.. and I .know deep down I will find the right way!

As I hid in this cold, dirty place, hungry and scared, I kept in my little mind, this was only for a short time.....only a short time.

Next time I will tell you what lessons I learned there and then how I met Peter, my human friend who takes pictures all over the world. I will tell you how I found my way to a better place and a starting point to reach my dreams. Remember that if a lowly enlightened roach can do it....you can!