I subscribe to Reminisce magazine. If you've never heard of it and love nostalgia, I urge you to pick up a copy at your bookstore and thumb through it. It's reader-written and is full of stories from the past - specifically from the 1920s through the 1950s (and some 1960s). I love to look at all the great pictures and hear how people lived in America during this time. And since I'm also a World War II historian, it helps me understand this generation.When I settled down on the couch to read the latest issue Friday night, I was pleasantly surprised to find an article from a woman who had worked in Washington D.C. during World War II. Why? Because my current novel is set in D.C. during the war. As I began reading, I saw that the woman originally came from Nebraska. Wow, I thought. That's pretty neat. I kept reading her account of how she worked for the FBI and of how life was in our nation's capital during that tumultous time.
When I finished, I read the author's name and where she was currently living. My eyes nearly popped out of my head. Not only did she still live in Nebraska, but she lived only 80 miles from me!
A quick check on the Internet gave me her phone number. I wondered if I would be too forward in calling her. But then, what did I have to lose? So, taking a deep breath, I dialed her number. To my utter delight, she was absolutely thrilled to hear from me and we are going to have lunch sometime in the near future. I can't wait to hear her stories not only because it will help with my novel's research, but because it will be a true honor to listen to someone who took the plunge to leave her small town of Nebraska and travel to Washington D.C. to help the war effort.
And to think, it's all because I read an article in a magazine...
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Wow! What an awesome story! And you'll have to post about your lunch together!
ReplyDeleteJenni
How exciting! Good for you for taking that plunge. It's amazing where God opens doors.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to make a connection!
ReplyDeleteVery cool! Glad you could make that connection! And what a bonus to your research!
ReplyDeleteHow sweet is that!!!! God truly does open doors! That's awesome, it will be really neat to hear about that meeting.
ReplyDeleteThat's incredible! And I commend you, Melissa, on your bravery in calling her. You're right, what did you have to lose? I'll remember that. :)
ReplyDeleteThis might come up twice as my Internet shut down but how cool that you went out on a limb and did that! Wow!
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool! I can't wait to hear all about your lunch and how it went. =]
ReplyDeleteO-oh I loove stories like this! And the magazine sounds like something my sister would love, thanx for the hot tip! When you finally do have lunch with her blog all about it. That sounds like it's going to be tons of fun!
ReplyDeleteSee just how pro-active you can be, and with that healthy attitude of: "What have I got to lose?" - "But everything to gain!" it has paid off!! Good for you Melissa. I'm sure many of us here have found reading this so inspirational, you 'little Star!'
ReplyDeleteOooh, that's a shiver-up-the-spine story! I love when things pop up for us like this--and how fabulous that you took a chance!
ReplyDeleteOh, talk about good luck! Happenings like these are so satisfying as they do not occur that often. :) Your courage has certainly resulted in something great.
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