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I Wanted A Bicycle: A Lesson In Power.

2/26/2019

8 Comments

 
Picture
Once upon a time, when I was 13, I wanted a bicycle. I worked to earn the money. Then, instead of a bike, I received a lesson in power. 

I grew up in a small house. We raised much of our food in a nearby plot, which was undoubtedly  healthier than most store options. If I wanted money, I earned it. I wanted a bicycle, so I babysat and sold excess produce door-to-door.

When I joined a 4-H club, I learned that I could also earn money with entries in the 4-H fair. Money was based on points. There were more points for winning a blue ribbon (best) than a red (good) or white (fair).

Points also varied by category; sewing a dress earned more points than growing a flower. I checked through the categories and chose entries that I could make or grow. 

Then I planned a campaign to win enough money to buy my bike. 

I worked on my entries during the entire year. I practiced to make perfectly even stitches. I sewed a dress, skirt, robe, doll (my own pattern), and more. I tried new recipes and tweaked them. Then I baked and froze a dozen types of cookies. I improved my drawing skills. I collected tree samples, pressed leaves, and made a fancy tree identification book that included detailed pen-and-ink illustrations.

I grew flowers, pinching off side buds to get the biggest blooms. I learned more about composition and lighting, and then took photos. I got scrap wood to make a lamp. I completed all the paperwork to enter my items in the county fair.

I really, really wanted a bike.

I had thirty entries. After the judging, I had won more than twenty blue ribbons. I knew that ribbons were just a symbol, soon forgotten by everyone. I had learned useful skills to make these entries, which I’m sure was the intent. 

But, what I really wanted was a bicycle, and now I had won enough money. I eagerly awaited my check.

An official envelope arrived with a check for much less money than I won. An official letter explained that there was a dollar limit. I felt betrayed. There was no written rule stating a limit. So, they changed the rules after the judging to deny me my prize. I wondered what they did with the money they saved by not paying these awards.

Apparently, the officials never expected one person to win so much. But they had no idea how much I wanted a bicycle. 

I worked hard and followed the rules. Then the people with power changed the rules to suppress a person without power. This was a potent lesson in abuse of power. 

I never forgot this lesson. It was not a tragedy. People suffer far worse every day.   

But it wasn't fair. ​I was a child, and I couldn't change what happened. So I decided that, in time, I would be able to change what happened to others. 


I found alternate routes to power, beyond age and wealth. I learned the power of the pen and well written letters.  

I’ve written letters to city and state organizations, to Representatives and Senators. I’ve organized successful letter campaigns. I’ve helped change communities, cities, and even state facilities. There's no money in this, no fame, but it provides quiet satisfaction.    

Any person can use the power of the pen. And w
e change the world every time we interact with another person or being, every time we recycle or pre-cycle.

Scree, a shape-shifter in The Dragon Dreamer, says, “What will be, will be. And then I’ll fix it.” She tells Arak, a dragon misfit, “Change is seldom easy. But the ripples from a single stone can cross the sea.”


And my bicycle? I kept working until I could afford one. Then I rode miles through the countryside, alone. I learned the wildflowers and birds along old, seldom used roads. I pedaled to other cities and back again. This was Freedom. 

POSTS ON MAKING CHANGES:
Use the Illusion of Power:
http://www.jennysburke.com/blog/make-a-difference-with-the-illusion-of-power
Planning for Change: http://www.jennysburke.com/blog/speak-up-you-could-save-many-lives

Thanks for visiting!
​
The Dragon Dreamer series is Science Fantasy Adventure for young adults 9 to 99.

8 Comments
Donna Moore
2/27/2019 04:02:15 am

Thank you for this incredibly inspiring story Jenny it's just what I needed right now. you are amazing!

Reply
Jenny Burke
2/27/2019 10:13:46 am

Awww. Thank you!

Reply
Jenn Sut
2/27/2019 01:56:07 pm

Wow. It is so sad that you had to learn that lesson at such a young age.

Reply
Jenny Burke
2/27/2019 03:28:33 pm

Perhaps. Many people endure much worse. This experience caused me to focus even more on problems in the world. I learned new skills so I could make a difference, which has been every bit as satisfying as riding a bike.

Reply
Jan Farrell
2/28/2019 09:19:58 am

What an interesting story, Jenny. We all have stories about ourselves that explain who we are and why we do what we do. It's always been so interesting to me to find these stories. I think that if we knew each others stories we would be so much more tolerant of each other.

I always want to know where people live, because it is the beginning of understanding who they are. I've only known you thru your books and thru facebook, but I've felt connected to you... and now I know one of your stories, one of the reasons you are who you are, and I appreciate how it deepens our friendship.

Power is an interesting concept. We have a pyramid society and what we long for deep inside, I think, is a circle society. One where everyone is valued, and no one is raised to the peek, above everyone else, for whatever reason. We should feel personal power, a depth of assurance, but without the need to raise ourselves up higher than others. Is ranking an inborn human trait?

I like your books, because they are a reflection of how we act, and show ways to change.

Keep it up, Jenny! You rock.


Jan

Reply
Jenny Burke
2/28/2019 10:25:03 am

Thank you!

Reply
Karen Gronski
3/6/2019 08:10:49 am

Tried to sign up for your newsletter but the link does not work .Would appreciate you signing me up thanks so much!

Reply
Jenny Burke
3/24/2019 02:42:24 pm

Thank you! I'll fix the link and add you.

Reply



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