"The Shift", by Christy Dreiling

The Shift
Written By Christy Dreiling
Edited By Scott Cotter
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The Shift
Published by Star Touch Unlimited ™
1601 E. Peoria #206
Paola, KS 66071
ISBN 978-0-615-35306-7
ISBN electronic
Copyright © 2010
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Date
Dreiling, Christy
Printed in the United States of America
2010- First edition
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A special thanks to
Cover Design by BJ Johnson
www.johnsonscreativeconcepts.com
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DEDICATION
This book is a dedication to my beautiful family and friends. With your love and support, this was
possible.
I love you all...
Special thanks to my editor Scott Cotter. Your heart for humanity shines through your soul. I
couldn’t have picked a more humble and big-hearted person to make this dream a reality.
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BIOGRAPHY
From homeless young girl to multi-million dollar entrepreneur, Christy Dreiling embodies the
“Rags to Riches Story” from which movie classics are made.
Between debilitating poverty and regularly witnessing the physical abuse of her young mother,
circumstances were extremely difficult for Christy, but a challenge never intimidated this small
town girl with very big dreams. Living in a car behind the local Pizza Hut with her mother and
young sister was just one of many adversities Christy faced growing up. However, her passion and
drive to make a better life for the family she would one day have (and a mother who continually
encouraged Christy to “dream bigger than the stars”), gave her the determination to fight through
her struggles and never give up.
Her first taste of success came in 1993 when she was crowned Miss Kansas Teen USA. Despite
being told continually by her step-grandmother that she wasn’t nearly pretty enough to be in a
pageant, and without money for the entry fee or proper outfits, she persisted onward. With only
Spam in the refrigerator, Christy and her mother took a Folgers can door to door in
their small Kansas town raising just enough for the entry fee; the outfits she would do
without. After winning the local competition, she went on to win the state pageant, and competed in
the nationally televised Miss Teen USA hosted by Dick Clark…tying for the top 13th position!
After years of international modeling and acting, Christy settled down to raise the family of her own
she’d always wanted. While doing so, she worked for five years as a leading fashion
photographer before beginning her Network Marketing business. In this venture, she has risen to the
top of her field, earning the premium rank awarded by her company and grossing nearly two million
dollars in just seven years ($ 1 million before her 30th birthday!). Her organization has expanded
internationally – including one of the top producing teams in Australia – and produces over $20
million dollars per year in sales. Her success has allowed her not only to provide the life for her
family that, as an impoverished young girl she could only dream about, but to provide money, time
and mentorship to those who are less fortunate.
She’s not stopping there. Her newest venture is designed to bring hope and answers to the lives of
millions.
She has authored a children’s book entitled Holes in my Socks as encouragement to underprivileged
youth, and has donated thousands of these books to the children she’s met while visiting shelters
and other charitable organizations throughout the world.
Christy is Co-Founder of a production company based in Los Angeles, a multi-platform
entertainment company with divisions in inspirational film production, inspiring fashion,
publishing, and more.
Christy’s big dream is to leave a legacy, to touch the world, and to teach that no matter what
adversity lies before you, when you believe in yourself and add value to the world, you'll achieve
enormous personal success, deeply inspire others, and forever change their lives.
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PAST
Pearl sighed heavily and blinked up at the ceiling. Her legs fidgeted back and forth and the
queen size bed she had once shared with the love of her life felt lonely. Like every other morning,
she woke up alone. She paused to think about how over time it had gotten progressively worse
between her and her ex and there wasn't a thing she could have done about it. Although she was
filled with love for him at the time and would have done anything to make him happy, he got to the
point where he didn't feel the same.
When she met Nathanial in her senior year it was love at first sight. He was tall, dark and
filled with charm. She was a bit clumsy, maybe even nerdy, but if he noticed he never let on. He
always complimented her on her looks. And maybe he knew something she didn't – that the plainspoken bookworm from the Midwest wasn't too far from being a breathtaking beauty.
No one ever showed her how to act like a lady but she carried herself beautifully, and
Nathanial was soon head over heels, taken by her innocence and smile. She was an A student, smart
about the world around her, but she seemed to work harder than most to succeed in school.
Those early years were a dream. But somewhere along the way, reality got to be a little too
real. And now, reality woke her up every morning, alone. Dreaming of a future, of what could've
been, was no longer something Pearl had the luxury of doing. She had quit school after falling in
love with Nathanial so she could take care of their first born, Jacob. Nathanial was in his third year
of residency and was never around. It was a tough time, but she was proud to be married to the
future Dr. Schmidt, and had accepted that she was destined to be a stay-at-home mom. If Nathanial
could pursue his dreams, she knew it would be a comfortable life and she was willing to wait for
business school. There would be time for her one day.
All those years when she had felt like a single mother had now become her reality. And she
couldn't forget the day it happened. It was Jacob's first day of Kindergarten and he couldn't wait. He
chirped endlessly about being a doctor just like his daddy and how he knew that meant going to
school so he could take care of sick people. For months leading up to that first school day, Jacob
was proud of getting bigger and talked about it tirelessly. All Pearl could do on his first day was
choke back her tears and brush his hair to the side, and notice how it curled at the ends, right at his
eyebrows, just like his father's. She held his tiny hands so soft and innocent and wondered what
happened to six years of her life. In him she always saw Nathanial, and wondered why he was never
more available for Jacob. She loved Jacob more than anything and she told him that every day.
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It happened suddenly, but really it didn't. Pearl knew that Nathanial would be pulling an all
nighter at the hospital. The night before, he had promised that he would make it home in time to
take Jacob to school for his first day. The morning passed by so quickly and Jacob had spent the last
half hour of it standing by the door staring out at the drive. Pearl dialed Nathanial's cell phone one
more time and it went straight to voicemail, just like each time before. That worried Pearl, even
after what they had gone through, he was usually polite enough to send her a text message letting
her know he was with a patient and would call as soon as he could.
She tried calling the hospital and the nurse on duty said that he wasn’t on the schedule until
the next day. At first she worried that maybe he'd been in an accident. Then the memories of all the
times that were just like this filled her thoughts. When he'd finally show, smelling of perfume, and
text messages would light up his phone at all hours of the night, he always assured her that he'd seen
a couple of older female patients and always add 'you know how they like to wear loads of that
perfume all the time.' When she'd glance at his buzzing phone he's always look at it and mumble
'work' with a shrug.
She trusted him because he always seemed so caring when he was around, but she was
always a bit jealous even if she didn't mention it. That was especially true of one woman. If there
was something happening she wasn't sure. But he always looked at this woman differently than he
did other women. Her name was Kathryn, Dr. Kathryn Elliott. In the back of Pearl’s mind she
always suspected but she resisted her intuition and forced it from her mind, convincing herself she
was the one and only woman in Nathanial’s life.
Pearl called the hospital again and asked if Kathryn was available. The nurse paused.
“Pearl, is that you?”
“Yes, is this Lori?”
“Sure is honey. Listen, it's none of my business but you should think about yourself.”
“What do you mean?” Pearl wondered aloud.
“Nothing sweetie, just take care of yourself.”
“Lori, what do you mean?” Pearl demanded.
Silence.
Lori?”
“I'm sorry sweetie, I'm just saying I want you to take care of yourself.”
Pearl felt a knot in her stomach. She forced herself to speak.
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“What Lori, please?”
“Listen, Pearl, you can't ever let anyone know it was me. I'll lose my job. I can't really…”
“Lori,” Pearl demanded.
“I can't stand how much you love him and how he's treating you, ” she blurted. “That's the
only reason I'm doing this. But please promise you won't say anything about it being me.”
“Okay.”
“Pearl, he's seeing Dr. Elliot. Has been for years. I'm sorry honey. I'm truly sorry.”
Pearl crumpled. She tasted her breakfast in the back of her throat. She could hear Lori
saying something but the receiver was too far away. It felt like she just woke from a dream and
what was waiting for her was worse…a nightmare.
Sobbing, she eventually managed to grab the phone and hang it up. She thought, you idiot,
how could you have let this happen? What is wrong with you, how could you have not known? All
the wasted time, all the effort and the dreams put on hold. All the years working two jobs raising
Jacob so Nathanial could live his dreams.
In the time it took to make a sandwich for lunch, what she thought was her life turned out to
be a lie. She was thirty six years old and realized for the first time that she didn't know who she was
anymore or where she was going. All that time lying to herself, saying over and over again that her
dreams didn't matter, her needs were not important. All that mattered was that Jacob had a stable
home and stable life.
With Nathanial free from what little obligation he must have felt, it wasn't long before his
girlfriend was his wife and they were expecting a child. It was no surprise to Pearl really. She'd
found out that this had gone on for years, that her entire marriage was nothing more than a
convenience for Nathanial, a way to have support for medical school.
What surprised her was that Nathanial was moving to Pheonix so his new wife could be
closer to her parents. Fine, she thought, let them leave. Pearl didn't care to see or talk to Nathanial
again. But Jacob needed his father, needed to be loved by the man he'd always worshipped. When
she called to discuss how Nathanial intended to remain in Jacob's life, the talk got heated from the
start and she got so angry she told him he should feel free to pretend they didn't exist and not to
worry about ever paying a dime of child support. It was an angry outburst she would live to regret.
Though Jacob looked up to Nathanial and wanted to be just like him, Pearl realized he never
really knew the love of his father. Nathanial was gone all the time and even when he lived at home,
he wasn't really there. It always seemed like such an inconvenience to him to spend time with Jacob.
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He'd breeze past Jacob, pat him on the head and head for his office saying something about work.
Jacob would trot on his heels the whole way, talking a mile a minute, only stopping when his father
closed his office door in his face.
It made Pearl sick to think about. Her son, her little Bugaboo, was the most important thing
in the world to her and to see him get so excited time after time and have his father treat him like
that.
Her anger rose every time she thought of it.
Jacob would ask about his father now and then, mostly out of curiosity. For the longest time,
he asked why his daddy had to stay at work so late and why he wouldn't come home to see him.
Pearl always told him that daddy was saving the world and changed the subject.
Eventually the questions stopped, and so did Jacob's dream of being a doctor. Pearl
showered him with love and attention, trying to make him forget the man who broke both of their
hearts. They seemed okay, but Pearl was feeling the pinch. Money was tight and getting tighter. She
was not spending as much time with Jacob as she used to either, because she couldn't. She was
working as much as she could, and had sold almost everything they owned and moved into a tiny
two-bedroom apartment. She swore she'd never ask her parents for another dime. Together, she
thought, they'd get through this.
Pearl was tough. A survivor. But she really hadn't been the same since the divorce. While
she was once able to light up a room with her sparkling smile and big heart, she wore her pain out in
the open and rarely smiled or made eye contact anymore. Damaged goods. A single mom in her
mid thirties without a penny to her name. The person she thought she'd be was long gone, a distant
memory. And what was left was someone who survived each day. But just barely. Feeling bad was
the only way she knew she could feel anything at all.
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Present
Pearl hit the snooze button for the third time. When she finally glanced over, it showed 6:30.
In a panic she jumped out of bed, put on her slippers, went to the restroom and shoved a toothbrush
in her mouth before realizing she had no toothpaste on it. She opened her cabinet to find a tube that
looked as if a semi-truck had run over it. She tried to squeeze more life out of the mangled tube, but
it was useless. With a loud crack she whipped it into the sink. She rushed down the hall into the
other bathroom and grabbed Jacob's Star Wars bubblegum toothpaste. With a grimace she shoved
the brush into her mouth and swung the door open to Jacob's room. While fighting her way through
the mounds of clothes, papers and toys on the floor, she stepped on something that felt like it
moved. She stopped in mid brush and thought about what it was. Then she screamed and launched
herself onto the bed.
Jacob flinched awake.
“What's wrong mommy?”
“Put that snake away now.”
Shaking, Pearl looked at the snake from up on the bed. That snake, she thought. I never
wanted that God forsaken snake but grandpa Joe insisted that every boy needed one. She could still
hear him grumbling about how kids didn't play outside anymore and didn't know anything about
nature.
“I went along with this,” she said loudly, her heart thumping in her chest, “and I had no clue
what I was signing up for.”
“Mom, it's okay. Remember, it's a corn snake and they won't hurt you.”
“Jacob, that's not the point. I have told you a million times that if you don't keep it in its cage
we'll have to release him back to the woods where he belongs. Now put him away.”
Jacob grabbed Wiley and held him high and made an airplane noise as he swung him by
Pearl on his way back to the cage. Pearl shuddered and jumped off the bed, and dashed down the
hall to get ready for another day at her boring job, a place that left her feeling empty and frustrated.
She threw her hair back in a pony tail and stopped to look closely at her face. That familiar
feeling welled up. She wasn't getting any younger. As she stood there staring in the mirror, she
cupped her breasts and lifted them. Once they stood on their own, energetic and cute. Now, well,
they looked as tired as she felt. She grabbed her face on each side and tried to give herself an instant
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face lift but it was apparent that the freckles that used to be cute now just looked like sun damage.
She loosened her grip and the wrinkles settled back around her eyes, revealing all the nights that she
had rubbed them raw clearing the tears away. Gray hair fought it's way through the dark that used to
be so bold, yet another victim of the divorce.
Pearl once felt attractive. Not model material, but worth a few turned heads at the grocery
store or out on the town. Not now, not today. She felt old, and looking at herself in the mirror was
not making the start of her day a good one. Out of all the inventors in the world, she thought to
herself, couldn't one have invented a mirror that allowed you to see yourself as you wanted, and not
how you really were. I'd buy that, she thought. I'd buy that in a hurry.
As she continued critiquing her wrinkles, she thought she smelled something burning and
wondered what Jacob was up to. She threw on a shirt and grabbed her shoes and trotted off down
the hall.
“What on earth are you doing Jacob?”
The kitchen looked like a tornado had moved through. Pearl left Jacob by himself for only
twenty minutes. How can a nine year old create such a mess so quickly? The eggs were black, the
bread was on fire in the toaster and Pearl had about all she could take.
“Jacob, what are you thinking? You can't just go and do whatever you want without asking.
You can't be stupid like this. Food costs money and it's money we don't have and you're wasting it.”
Pearl grabbed the orange juice and stepped toward the refrigerator.
“Ah,” she coughed as her toe hit the rolled up corner of the rug and she lunged forward, splattering
the counter and cabinets with the juice. Jacob grabbed his backpack and shot out the back door.
What was left of the orange juice was now in the fridge and Pearl tried to sop up the rest of it when
she found a piece of paper with a drawing on it.
Momy,
I am sorre about the snake. I will never leeve it out again. You ar the best mom in the
whole world and I am so luky to have you as my mom. I hope you lik this breakfast and
kno that I love you more than all the starz in the sky.
P.S. You are butyful!
Jacob
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Pearl hugged herself and sobbed.
She felt ashamed at how she acted and raced for the back door to catch Jacob. He was
already gone, walking to school betrayed and hurt.
She grabbed her purse and ran to the car. As she turned the key, the engine slowly turned
over but wouldn’t catch. She turned the key again and the engine rolled over more slowly with each
turn.
“Ahhhhhhh!” she screamed, flailing at the steering wheel with both hands.
She grabbed the key again and twisted it forward hard, desperate.
“God,” she whispered, “please let it start.
The engine slowly turned again and coughed suddenly to life. She jammed it into reverse
and pulled out onto the street. Jacob was a block from school when she pulled up next to him.
“Jacob, please get in the car,” she said. “I am so sorry honey.”
Jacob just kept walking, his face streaked by tears that fell from his red and swollen eyes.
“Please Jacob.”
Jacob ignored her. Pearl stopped the car and jumped out.
“Jacob, I am so sorry. I am really bad at this single mom thing, but I want to be better. I
want to be better for you. But I just don’t know how sometimes. It doesn’t mean I don't love you.”
She reached for his chin and lifted his face so she could look into his eyes.
“Thank you for the note and breakfast honey. It means a lot.”
Jacob looked at her for a moment, then pulled his chin from her hand and glanced toward
school.
“I’m going to be late mom, I have to go.” He took a small step toward the school.
“Let me take you,” Pearl said.
“I’m fine mom, I just want to walk.”
“I love you sweetie” she said.
Jacob, silent, started walking.
Pearl got back into the car and sat for a minute. How could she be so inconsiderate? How
could she be so irresponsible? She just couldn’t help but think about all the things she had failed at.
She failed Jacob, she failed as a wife, and she was failing at work too. She couldn’t understand why
people were so happy. How could others live a life that was beautiful? How could they be so
happy?
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She kept thinking about it as she drove to work. At one stoplight, she looked over to see a
woman bobbing her head and singing. Pearl’s stomach knotted.
Why? Why can’t I feel that good, she thought. What is it that lets people be that happy? The
happy woman made Pearl feel even worse. On what was one of the worst days she could remember,
she didn’t think she could get angrier and more depressed. But she did.
Pearl always stopped at Quick Trip to get a coffee on her way into work. She couldn’t
believe how busy it was. All the parking spots were taken, people walking in from every direction.
She sat in a daze and watched. Little people, big people, happy people, sad people. What were their
stories?
She sat for what seemed like minutes, her blinker on as she waited for a spot up front. As the
car she waited for pulled out, a black BMW swerved into the spot she had waited for.
Angered, Pearl gave her car the gas and pulled it to rest in a space near the end of the lot.
Boy was she going to let this guy have it. He acted the way Nathanial would have so she despised
him even more. With a burst of energy she jumped from her car determined to let him know how
selfish he was. When she entered the store, prepared to stare him down, she realized she couldn’t
tell which one was the driver. They all looked alike. So she grabbed her coffee and decided that
every man in the place deserved her anger this morning. Her glare would show them.
She paid the clerk and snatched her change from his hand without a thank you. When she
stepped through the door, she made sure not to hold the door for the person behind her whether it
was him or not.
How dare he treat me like trash, she thought. Rich jerk. Who does he think he is. As she
walked by the guy's car, she saw a sign that read “Reserved for Customer of the Month: Alex
Welch.”
She was sure the sign wasn't there before. If it were, why does he get special treatment? Is it
because of his car? He spends more money here? That's great, Pearl fumed, reward the wealthy
while the poor single mom struggles to make it.
What started out as a bad day kept getting worse and Pearl knew there was no way she was
going to turn things around. She pulled out onto the road and headed up the on ramp and headed
north. It was her normal route and at this time of morning it wasn't usually too crowded. As she
checked her mirror, the guy behind her squeezed in before her and then closed the gap so she
couldn't get in.
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“Jerk,” Pearl yelled while pounding the horn. She glared at him as he passed. He just
smirked.
What a day already, she thought. Everything had gone wrong. She started to get angry again
at the mess in the kitchen that she'd have to clean up when she got home. She got mad at the rich
guy at the gas station. She gave an audible gasp as she looked into the rearview mirror and saw how
bloodshot her eyes were. The dark saddlebags under each eye made her angry too, and she looked
up at them again. Another swig of coffee is what she needed. But when she looked back at the road,
traffic had come to a stop and before she could think fast enough she let go of her coffee and it
spilled down her shirt and pants. She heard screeching and in the pit of her stomach she knew what
was next.
Pearl shook her head a bit and then removed her seatbelt. As she pulled herself from the car,
she felt dizzy and it took her some time to realize the extent of the damage. She stared at her car in
surprise. And then her anger kicked in. When the guy in the white SUV got out of his truck visibly
shaken, she surprised herself by how quickly she snapped.
“I hope you have good insurance buddy!”
It was embarrassing to see how everyone stared as they drove by. The guy in the SUV was able to
drive off and continue with his day after he gave his statement to the cop. She made sure she
blamed it all on him, making sure not to mention that she spilled her coffee before the accident. The
policeman didn’t seem to question her at all and she was glad. There was no way she could pay for
this but the other driver clearly had money and most likely, good insurance.
A big silver tow truck pulled up behind her broken car and a short bald guy with a round
belly jumped down from the truck. She couldn't help but notice his white snakeskin boots and how
they matched his white goatee, but what really got her attention was the patch that covered his right
eye. The bright orange jacket he had on was scrawled with interesting designs that Pearl tried to
figure out but couldn't. She still felt a bit dizzy.
The truck driver walked very quickly toward Pearl and the cop.
“Howdy, George, how are you my man?” the cop asked.
George didn't say a word. He smiled, offered his hand to the cop and the two turned to look
at the car.
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“Looks like another one George. Probably on her way, in a rush and not paying a bit of
attention to what was happening. She’s a tough one, though, got to admit. Not a single tear. Good
luck with her.”
What was that?, Pearl wondered. How can he say those things about me? He doesn't know
me. What does he mean good luck George?
With her arms stiff, Pearl walked over to the two men.
“You know I can hear everything you are saying.”
The cop didn't utter a word. He just patted George on the shoulder, walked off and got into
his car and pulled away.
Working quickly, George hooked the battered old sedan up to the truck without a word.
Pearl watched his every move, and wanted him to know she was keeping her eyes on him so he
didn't mess anything up, not that she had any idea how to tow a car. Once it was hooked up the way
he liked, George flipped a switch and pulled a lever and Pearl's car inched slowly up the ramp.
When it came to rest right where he wanted it, he released the lever, turned the switch the other way
and yanked off his gloves and shoved them down his back pocket. It took him just a couple of
minutes to run the cables to the underside of her car and without a word he hopped back in the big
diesel and began to pull away.
“Hey, what about me?” Pearl shrieked in anger. “How do you expect me to get to work?
Don't you treat your clients with more courtesy than this?”
George hit the breaks and Pearl's car shimied back and forth. With a sly smile George
motioned to Pearl.
“Jump in, Tiger.”
Pearl bristled at the thought. Who is this guy to call me tiger? she thought. He's got one eye
and he's creepy. As she thought about her options, she realized she didn’t have any. Her parents had
the RV down in Louisiana for the winter, she had no friends, and no one else to call. Resigned, she
huffed and jumped into the truck, her arms crossed like an angry nine year old.
With a nod, George put the car into drive and gave the big engine a little tap. As they pulled
away, he grabbed the knob on the radio and twisted it enough to get Bruce Springsteen singing.
With a quick smile he started tapping his steering wheel. How could he be so happy?, Pearl
wondered. For crying out loud, he's a tow truck driver. And he has one eye. Though he has a nice
voice, what in the world does he have to be happy about? As Pearl wondered about the stranger she
sat near, she realized her own foot tapped in rhythm to “Born in the USA.”
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What am I doing?, she thought to herself. I was just in an accident, I'm covered in coffee
stains, my son hates me, I'll probably lose my job because I only had one warning left, and now I'm
sitting in this truck with a one-eyed bald guy who's singing to a song that’s more than twenty years
old. How 1980’s. Pearl reached over and twisted the radio knob hard until it clicked off. Surprised,
George looked over.
“Oh, so you want to talk do ya?”
“No, I just want you to take me to work so I can get on with my day,” Pearl blurted as she
glared at George. “The address is 510 Orchid Street. The faster you go the better. If Im lucky, I
might still have a job.”
“No worries Tiger, I'll get you there. I love orchids! What a great name for a street. I wonder
why they named it Orchid Street. Are there lots of orchids on your street?”
“It’s where I work and I don’t know and I don’t even care. Can we please not talk?”
George didn't say anything, but soon the silence was driving her crazy. All the old man did
was sit there and smile. Why was he so happy?!
Finally, she couldn't resist any longer.
“Why are you so happy? You only have one eye, isn’t that illegal to be on the road? You are
putting people’s lives in danger.”
“Well, Tiger, wasn’t it me who just rescued you from an accident? I have perfect vision in
my good eye, and to be honest I am grateful for the sight that I have. And no, it's not illegal to be
driving. I passed the test with flying colors.”
“What are you talking about? You have not been given anything! Your eye was taken away
from you.”
“No, darlin, I've been given another chance.”
Pearl paused and looked over at George. “What in the world are you talking about another
chance, what happened to you?”
“Well, it’s a bit of a long story, and I would hate to bother you with it Tiger. Seems you've
had a bit of a rough go today and I wouldn’t want to trouble you with my story when you have
enough problems to worry about.”
“Well, I'm not doing anything else right now, so I'd really like to hear your story.”
Without hesitation, George opened up. Pearl was surprised by his frankness and honesty.
“About twenty years ago I had a wake up call. At that time my son Zach was fifteen, and
very independent. I was a single dad, angry at the world that my wife had left me for another man. I
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worked for a trucking company and was on the road a lot and, honestly, I didn't know how to be a
dad. I'm not really sure I wanted to be a dad anyway. I just expected Gloria to take care of things
while I did my thing and provided for the family. One day I came home from a run to Tuscon and
she was gone. Nothing there but a note to pick up Zach at school because she'd never be back. I was
really angry at the world. I didn't think about Zach. All I thought about was myself and how I would
handle everything on my own. I took a lot of things for granted and that's when it happened.”
“What happened?” Pearl asked, afraid.
“The shift. That's when the shift happened.”
“What's the shift?”
“When I look back now I realize Zach was trying to deal with his own emotions of losing
his mom and being stuck with his old man who was a guy he didn't know. And all I could do was
think about myself. I expected him to be grown up, I wanted more from him than most kids should
ever have to worry about. And the worst part is, I never took the time to let him know how much I
cared. Not even a simple 'I love you and I'm proud of you’.”
George paused and looked out the window. As Pearl searched her mind for something to
say, he continued.
“One day we had a fight and I was angry because I had to take him to school. I had already
driven most of the night making deliveries. I had just walked through the door and was exhausted
when he asked for a lift. It was horrible how I responded, yelling at him the entire way to school.
You'd never guess what got me to stop yelling at him.”
“No, what?”
“Well, I was so angry that I wasn't paying much attention, just had my mouth going the
whole time. I didn't even see the lady who pulled out in front of me. Never even touched the
brakes.”
Pearl groaned.
“Yep, woke up in the hospital three days later with tubes attached to me. First thing I did
was ask about Zach. The nurse didn't tell me anything, she just went and got the doctor.”
“What'd the doctor say?”
“I was terrified that Zach had been injured. Or worse. But the doctor told me right way that
Zach was okay. He had a few bumps and bruises. That's when he told me I'd lost my eye.”
“Wow,” was all Pearl could manage. Her mind was reeling with guilt for the way she had
treated Jacob that morning and she wished desperately that she could take it back. All of it.
16
“So I felt sorry for myself for a long time,” George continued. “I'd lost the love of my life,
lost my son emotionally and now I had lost my eye. I wondered every moment of every day how it
would be possible for me to ever be happy again. I was as low as I could go. And that's when I
decided.”
“What did you decide?”
“On November 3rd, 2001, I decided I was going to get out of bed in the morning, put my
pants on and be grateful for everything in my life. I was down an eye, but I was healthy and I could
love and laugh and was capable of living an extraordinary life.”
“I'm lost,” Pearl replied. “Though nothing had changed, you just decided? Obviously you
were dealt a bad hand, you weren't living a dream life. You were driving a truck for Pete's sake.”
“Here's the thing, Pearl. Things aren't always what they seem. When adversity wakes you
up, you can either let it bring you down further, or you can use it as a second chance, a wake up
call. You can see it as a sign that you are doomed, or you can take your adversity and turn it into an
advantage, like I did.”
“No, I can't see how that's an advantage. It's a disadvantage.”
“Sure, I've only got one eye but I'm still here. I'm still here to sing to Bruce Springsteen,
dance and love life. I can still taste food and smell flowers. I found out something after all I'd been
through. Life is a gift, a beautiful gift. Everyone has struggles and everyone faces tough times. How
you handle those makes you stronger and better. I look back at that morning when I lost my eye and
realized that I was miserable, I was ungrateful for the gifts in my life and I was angry at the world.”
George looked over at Pearl and offered a warm, knowing smile.
“Anyone who crossed my path would get an earful. I wasn't living. I was dying slowly one
day at a time. I wondered all the time what would have happened if I had turned down a different
street. What if I would have seen that old lady a bit earlier and could have stopped? Nah, it wouldn't
have changed who I was. I was too busy thinking of myself and my own problems. I would have
kept going the way I was going. I would have kept wallowing in my own sorrow, probably for the
rest of my miserable life. That accident and the loss of my eye was a wake up call.”
“So how is Zach now?”
“Well,” George said, a big smile crossed his face. “Zach is an amazing young man. Quite
the entrepreneur now. He does a lot of traveling and he serves a lot of people.”
“You must be proud.”
17
“I am. Very much so. And more importantly, we're very close now. I'd even say we're best
friends and I try to see him every day that he's in town.”
Pearl sat frozen. So many questions about her own decisions and her own life revolved in
her head, spinning like a wheel so fast it was a blur. And the things that happened that morning, the
way everything seemed to be getting worse and worse kept surfacing. She wanted to start the day
over again, to try just for a moment to see the world the way one-eyed George did, to see if it would
make a difference.
George slowed the big truck and pulled over in front of 510 Orchid Street and parked it.
“Here you go, Tiger,” he said with a smile.
Pearl didn't move. She didn't look at him. She didn't do a thing.
“Well, here you go Tiger,” George said a bit louder.
“I have a question, George.”
“Shoot.”
“Here you are driving a truck. Why are you still doing this if you're living your best life?”
George grabbed the handle on the door, pulled sharply until it unlatched and pushed it
outward. Without a word he stepped down and disappeared. Just as Pearl reached for her own
handle the door on her side opened. George offered his hand and his card.
“Because, darlin', if I weren't driving a truck, I never would have met you. Have an amazing
day Tiger.”
Pearl watched as George rounded the truck, whistled a bit of The Boss, jumped back up in
the cab and put it in gear. As he pulled away he waved. And when he turned the corner, she could
hear Born to Run blaring from the windows.
Pearl walked up the sidewalk slowly thinking about what had just happened. She opened the
palm of her hand and looked down at the card George had placed there. There was a picture of a
tow truck along with a phone number and address. She flipped it over to see just two words on the
back: “Carpe Diem”. She remembered seeing a movie that had that phrase in it but she couldn't
recall what those two words meant.
She stuck the card in her back pocket and kept walking until she noticed an orchid on the
stairs just a few feet in front of her. Despite the name of the street, there weren't any orchids
anywhere near here. She stoped to pick it up and inspected it closely, wondering how it found its
way onto the sidewalk.
18
Pearl held the flower and slipped through the side door of her office and made her way to
her cubicle. Ah, she thought, another day as a sales rep for a software company making nothing but
commission. A job she hated, where everyone gossiped, a coworker would stab you in the back for
an extra five minutes of lunch break and the boss was unkind, to say the least. Her boss had
threatened to fire Pearl on a number of occasions, telling her not so long ago that if she were late
one more time she was definitely going to be fired. And because she didn't like Pearl, this was the
kind of day her boss had been waiting for.
Pearl settled into her chair quietly and flipped on her computer. It felt like she'd made it
without getting noticed. She thought…until the familiar, unsettling voice came from over her
shoulder.
“Well, Pearl, late once again. Didn't I tell you that the next time this happened I'd have to let
you go?”
Pearl interupted, wanting nothing more than to unload on her boss. She kept thinking of all
the times this woman made it so hard on her. From the day she started with this company she never
liked her. She would always take credit for Pearl’s ideas and when Pearl asked for time off to watch
her son’s ball games she was never understanding. Maybe it was because she didn’t have children
of her own. Maybe she just didn't care. Whatever her reasons, she surely wouldn't care that Pearl
needed to be there, to cheer on her son and support him since Nathanial never had. It tore her up to
miss those games. And the thought of it now angered her. So much so that she wanted to lash out, to
get back at her boss for everything she ever said or did. Right in front of the entire department. That
would show her that she couldn't just push people around like they were her personal servants
without feelings or lives all their own.
Just as she was getting ready to speak up, she heard a voice in her head. It was George.
“Things aren't always what they seem. When adversity wakes you up, you can either let it bring you
down further, or you can use it as a second chance.”
George's voice calmed her, almost as if he were right there with his gentle hand on her
shoulder. She looked back at her boss, Jane, and nodded.
“You know what, Jane, I understand. I have not been responsible and I have treated you
poorly. I deserve anything I get because, frankly, I'm holding this company back.”
Jane stood in stunned silence looking at Pearl, her anger dissipating.
“I just make you look bad when I'm not performing up to the level that I should be. So
please forgive me. Even though I've hated working here, I'm grateful for the time I spent with this
19
company. I'm grateful for the paycheck that allowed me to support Jacob and I'm grateful that I'm
not yelling at you or making inappropriate hand gestures at you. I'm grateful for what has happened
to me though I have no idea what it is. All I know is that it feels good, really good. And I have you
to thank for part of that.”
Pearl looked at Jane for a second, smiled warmly and grabbed her purse. As she passed Jane,
Pearl hugged her. And waved to everyone who had their heads peering over the top of their
cubicles. There was energy in her step, and as she walked through the office door, she gave a little
dance.
Pearl thought, I did it. I feel better than ever. And was it ever empowering to rise above the
anger. The sky looked more blue. The birds were singing and life felt good. But the moment faded
quickly as a black cloud of doubt and reality filled her mind again. What had she just done? I have
no job, no way to earn a living or care for Jacob, she worried. What will I do, how will I support us?
She stood there stranded. No car, no job and no prospects.
Pearl sat on the park bench in a daze. When not so long ago what felt like a liberating
moment now felt more like pure fear. She was lost and trying to come up with an idea, a miracle.
She pulled out her wallet and went sifting through all the receipts. There it was, a ten dollar bill. All
she had on her and not even enough to catch a taxi ride home. She began to feel sorry for herself
again and decided that walking would be a better option.
As she stood, she heard someone calling her name.
“Pearl, I've been looking everywhere for you.”
It was Raymond, one of the guys from Development. She knew Raymond always had a
crush on her from the first day she started working at EnerDiv. He was a kind man, sweet and
giving, and always left her gifts for the holidays. And he often walked by her cube just to check on
her. He was definitely interested, but she just couldn't find it in herself to like him. She tried, and
she really liked the attention, but he just wasn't her type. And she definitely didn't want Raymond to
see her in her current condition.
Wiping at her eyes, she looked down as he approached. “Hi Raymond.”
“Pearl, I've been searching all over for you. What are you going to do now, where will you
work?”
Pearl shook her head. She had no answers to those questions.
“I can help Pearl. I can take care of you.”
20
“Thanks Raymond, that's very sweet of you. But I'm not looking for a man. And I'm not
looking for anyone to take care of me. I have to take care of myself first. I already tried the other
way and it didn't work out.”
“At least think about getting to know me a little better.”
Pearl didn't respond. She looked at her shoes and pulled her elbows up onto her knees. As
she cupped her chin, an idea came to mind.
“Raymond, can you take me home? I've had car trouble and I don't have a ride or enough
money to get one.”
“Sure, I'd be glad too. But I have an appointment at the Ritz. They implemented one of our
new systems and they're having some technical problems. Probably be about two hours to run
through some of the protocols. If you don't mind waiting, I'd be more than happy to take you home.
Then maybe we could, you know, grab some dinner.”
“Thanks Raymond, I'd appreciate it. I don't mind waiting. I’ll have to take a rain check on
the dinner, Jacob will be getting out of school soon and I really need to be there for him, especially
today.”
Raymond turned his car into the hotel's drive and Pearl was immediately stricken by the
beautiful landscape. It was so lush and colorful. It made her feel good, but she was also a bit
uncomfortable. For some reason, all this felt familiar, though she couldn't put her finger on why.
Raymond pulled in behind a line of cars that moved slowly up the drive. Pearl noticed as
they curved toward the canopy in front of the lobby that many of them were very expensive. Right
in front of them was a Jaguar and the car in front of that was a large Mercedes. In front of that she
noticed an older econobox of some sort, which seemed out of place. She wondered what it was
doing lined up with all the fancy cars. And she wondered why all these obviously successful people
were at the Ritz at the same time.
When Raymond got up to the valet, he waved a badge at the attendants and they came down
off the curb and opened both doors welcoming Pearl and Raymond with big smiles. The young man
on Pearl's side extended a hand down to her and surprised Pearl with a “Welcome to the Ritz
ma’am.”
Pearl felt special, then she remembered the coffee stains on her clothes. She accepted the
helping hand but kept her head down, mumbling thanks as she walked quickly to the front door. A
young man dressed in a tuxedo and white gloves opened the door and said, “Welcome to the Ritz.”
21
The lobby was ornate. Archways stretched up almost to the domed ceiling where gold inlay
swirled in scroll patterns around windows that revealed the blue sky beyond. Palm trees surrounded
rock formations and water tumbled into a pool surrounded by mounds of enormous flowers of
orange, blue and white. It was maybe the most beautiful place she had ever seen. Others had talked
about this part of California being incredible but, really, she never left Irvine. Seeing it for the first
time made her realize she needed to get out more and go places. The burnished marble floors, the
exotic flowers, the rich woodwork buffed to a high sheen, the incredible kindness of the employees.
Pearl thought to herself that she never wanted to leave.
Raymond turned toward Pearl.
“It's going to be a couple of hours. You can come with me if you like, or you can have a
look around.”
Pearl didn't hesitate. “I think I'll look around if you don't mind.”
“Yeah, please do. I'll meet you back here in about two hours. If it's going to take less time or
if I'm running a bit long, I'll send you a message, okay?”
“Sounds like a plan. You suppose I'd be okay walking around here looking like this? I don't
feel so comfortable.”
“Look Pearl, rich people come in all shapes, sizes and, well, coffee flavors. So stand up
straight, hold your head high and act like you're meant to be here.”
Pearl stood a little straighter, pulled her shoulders back and smiled. “Alright then, I'm meant
to be here.”
Raymond nodded and winked before he turned and greeted the front desk staff.
As Pearl explored, she felt like people were staring at her. It was uncomfortable, but she
decided she would enjoy looking around just the same. After all, in a couple of hours she'd be back
to reality. Back to the land of no job, no money and no prospects.
As she looked around, she noticed a group of people walking down some stairs toward a
hallway that appeared to have a row of conference rooms. She decided to follow them so she could
see what they were doing. As they turned a corner, she saw a sign that read “Wealth Builders
Seminar,” and in smaller type underneath it said “Spirit Center, Room B.” Pearl continued to follow
the group toward the Spirit Center, hoping they would stay engrossed in whatever they were talking
about and would never notice her.
22
At the Spirit Center, there were all types of people milling about outside the conference
room. There were men and women in gorgeous suits, and quite a few who looked like she did, only
without the coffee stains. She was shocked to see one guy with his hair in a pony tail and flip flops
on his feet. Seeing these people made her feel a lot less under dressed. Seeing these people gave her
a new concept of people who had money. She thought they all wore expensive clothes and drove
expensive cars, but this was giving her a new outlook. If all these people were in fact wealthy.
As she stood there transfixed, watching the people waiting outside Room B, there was a
commotion behind her. It sounded like a herd of cattle and she turned to see a group of people
coming down the stairs. They were with a news reporter who was adjusting her skirt and hair while
she negotiated the steps. Pearl moved quickly to the side and stood next to a door that said “Staff
Only.” She felt safer; the last thing she wanted was to be caught someplace she didn't belong.
From her new vantage point, she watched the reporter push her way through the crowd as if
she was looking for someone. The reporter asked several people if they had seen someone, a name
Pearl couldn't make out, but everyone shook their heads or shrugged their shoulders. Across the
hall, a man came out of the bathroom and stepped toward the crowd. He was immediately
surrounded and the reporter started pushing her way toward him. Pearl turned her ear toward all the
commotion but couldn't hear a name to figure out who this man was. What she did hear, at least she
thought so, was “The Billionaire Bachelor.” That couldn't have been right, Pearl thought, because it
just didn't seem plausible that someone would really have a billion dollars and if they did, it
wouldn't be someone handsome. Besides, someone with that kind of money would be a total jerk
and the guy everyone was bustling to talk to seemed pretty nice. Still, Pearl felt annoyed at how big
of a deal everyone was making over the guy.
As Pearl shook her head in disgust and leaned back against the wall, a woman rushed up to
her in a panic.
“Oh my goodness,” she said, “I'm so glad you're here. Thankfully you got here fast. Okay,
follow me,” she blurted as she turned and rushed off.
Pearl tried to say something but the woman just motioned energetically for Pearl to follow
without turning around. They pushed through a door and went hustling right past the chefs, servers,
other staff, and into an office.
“Listen, I need you to put on your white smock and these white gloves right away. We
always wear the gloves you know. Sign this and you'll be good to go.”
“But…” Pearl stammered but the woman interupted her.
23
“Okay, listen, I'll pay you $25 an hour. I don't care, I just need you to sign the work
agreement we have with the staffing company, and then get out there.”
Pearl grabbed the pen. Did she just get another job, she wondered? And if so, for $25 an
hour? You bet! With that she signed the paper and put on her white smock, servers apron and white
gloves.
“Great. Now all I need you to do is pour the water. That's it. I know you've done this before
so I'm sure you'll have no problem.”
Pearl smiled awkwardly but didn't let on that this was a mistake.
“Just remember where you are. This is the Ritz, and these are not your average Joes here.
They expect first class customer service. They strive for the best and they want the best from you,
me and everyone else out there. That's why we're here. They won't do anything halfway and neither
should we. This is such an opportunity for us to show that our company offers first class catering.
Got it?”
Pearl stiffened her spine and stood motionless, nodding. “Yes ma’am.”
“Go on then, get out there. I'm not paying you $25 an hour to stand here.”
Pearl rushed from the room and jumped into a fray of other servers rushing about. Nobody
noticed her or said a word. As she passed the kitchen, she saw beautifully prepared food
everywhere, all on shiny white china resting on glistening silver trays. Curious, Pearl lifted the
serving lid to see a mouth watering steak. She realized that she let the day go by without eating a
thing. She quickly closed the lid before anyone could catch her peeking.
She made her way through the kitchen to a small group of servers wearing the same white
smocks and gloves she had on. They were standing around listening to a man who was reading them
the riot act and making threats.
“I don't care what you do here my friends. If you take out the trash, I want you to be the best
flippin’ trash man there is. If you carry the water, you carry it the best way possible. Refine your
skills, don't be average, don't settle for doing just okay. You have to view yourself as the best there
is, as a performer. I expect nothing less. Nothing will do except your very best. You're either a
flower or a cactus. Be a flower.”
How insane, Pearl thought. Why would anyone work here? She felt her chest tighten a bit
and thought trying to live up to this idiot's expectations would give her a heart attack. The ranting
guy broke her train of thought.
24
“If you do not water a flower and give it sun, it will die. Those people out there, they are the
soil and we are the water and the sun. Go, give them your very best.”
Pearl couldn't believe it. What crap. What a total load of horse crap. She was getting ready
to walk away when Mr. Cheerleader came busting through the other servers right toward her.
“Who are you?”
“I'm your temp server for today. My name is Pearl.”
“Temp server?” he yelled. “Temp server? Are you kidding? On a day like today? What
experience do you have?”
Stunned, Pearl croaked “Well, I have a son I serve at home.”
“Listen mommy, I run a tight ship and I don't want you to ruin my big show. You ruin it and
you'll pay.”
Before she could stop herself, Pearl blurted, “Listen pal, last time I checked you needed me.
So either treat me with respect or you'll be taking care of today's lunch with one less server.”
There was a collective gasp and then the entire place froze in place. Silence. Pearl wasn't
sure what she had just done but Mr. Cheerleader stood and looked at her for what seemed like
minutes. Then he turned back to the group and put his hands on his hips.
“Well, what are you waiting for. Get to your stations everyone. Get going.”
He walked away as one of the other servers stopped and whispered to Pearl, “I can't believe
you did that. No one ever does that to him.”
“Well, I'm not just no one and I will not have anyone, especially a man, treat me that way,”
she responded.
“Good for you. What's your name?”
“Pearl. What's yours?”
“I'm Sarah and I'm a mom too. Single one at that. Nice to meet you Pearl, I’m glad you're
here.”
Pearl couldn't remember the last time she had met another woman who seemed so
immediately warm and genuine. Most women seemed phony, catty and gossiped way too much. But
Sarah seemed cool Pearl thought.
“Listen Pearl, you can do this. All you have to do is fill up their water. It's simple. And if
they give you a tip, accept it graciously.”
“Tips? Nobody told me I might get tips. This could turn out great after all. Thanks Sarah.”
25
Pearl spun on her heels and headed out into the conference room with a pitcher in hand. She
moved from table to table quietly filling up glasses as she went. There were all types of people in
the room, every type imaginable. Big ones, little ones, elegant ones and folks who seemed average.
How, she wondered, could they have so much money? Many of them looked completely normal
like she was.
When she saw Sarah again she was walking right toward Pearl. “You see that woman over
there?” she whispered while they walked back to get refills. “The one with the white suit, she's
worth billions. She was a single mom like me and worked as a maid at some hotel chain. She wasn't
getting any tips from people as they checked out so she did all sorts of stuff to increase the number
and amount of the tips she would receive.”
Pearl nodded but said nothing.
“I heard she was almost evicted, that one night she found a note on her door that said she
needed to pay her rent within the week or she would lose her apartment. That night she took her
son's watercolors and painted inspirational messages on white paper and left them in each room for
the hotel's guests the next day. Not only did that increase her tips, she was promoted for her
customer service. Over the years she worked her way up and has ended up being the owner of one
of the largest hotel chains in the world.”
“Wow, how do you know all that?” Pearl asked as she waited to refill her pitcher behind
another server.
“To be honest, I didn't take this job because it sounded like fun. I took it because the best
ideas in the world are here, in this place, when these people meet. They don't even realize that they
are giving me such wonderful gifts by letting me serve them. I didn't learn the things I learn here in
my MBA program. No way.”
“You've got an MBA?” one of the other servers turned and asked.
“Shhhh, Alicia,” Sarah hissed.
“Why would you ever work here?” Alicia continued. “I thought you were a struggling single
mom.”
“Struggling, no. But could I use more wisdom to acquire greater wealth and do more, sure.”
Pearl filled her pitcher and began to think. She turned and walked toward another table, next
to Sarah, wondering what all this meant.
“I'm still not sure I get it,” Pearl said, but before she could continue, a small older lady asked
Pearl for help.
26
“Excuse me, miss, can I please get some honey for my tea.”
Sarah jumped in. “Of course, Abigail, anything for you. You look absolutely great today in
that purple hat. Where did you find it?”
Blushing, Abigail smiled. “I can't even remember, honey, I've had it for so long.”
As Pearl watched the exchange, she felt a tap on the shoulder. She turned to see Mr.
Cheerleader so she hustled to fill more glasses and worked her way toward other tables. As she
busied herself, she heard a thump, thump, thump over the conference room's PA system. A welldressed Asian man was standing at the podium smiling.
Hello ladies and gentlemen. It's a pleasure to be back at the Ritz with all of you
again, learning from one another, networking and sharing ideas on how we can
continue to do great service in the world. As always, I'd like to open with the famous
quote. And repeat after me if you can. 'Carpe diem. Rejoice while you are alive,
enjoy the day, live life to the fullest, make the most of what you have. It is later than
you think’.
Pearl couldn't believe it. She picked up another glass and began pouring. Those were the
words from the back of George's card. As she topped off the glass, she thought to herself that it was
a bit creepy to run into that saying twice in one day, especially a day like today. She wondered what
it meant, if it were a sign or something. As she thought about crazy George and his one eye, the
water spilled over the top of the glass. A lot of it. Enough that it ran onto the lap of the man sitting
there.
“Oh,” Pearl nearly shouted. “I'm so, so sorry. Let me get that for you.”
Pearl grabbed a napkin and started to dab at the man's lap, who never responded to being
doused with ice-cold water.
He reached for her arm gently. “Don't worry about it miss. If you hadn't have done that, I
probably would have done it myself,” he chuckled.
“This is my first day. I mean, I don't know what it is, actually. I don't know how I really got
here.”
The man with the wet pants looked at Pearl as she kept dabbing at his lap and talking at the
same time. She seemed clumsy and real and sweet and he never took his eyes off her as she
nervously talked and dabbed. Pearl didn't even notice that he wasn't saying a word, that he just
27
stared at her the entire time. When she glanced up, she thought that he was very good looking. She
almost lost it when their eyes met.
Embarrassed, she looked down. “I'm really sorry,” she said again before she walked away
quickly.
He said something in response but she wasn't sure what. And she was too embarrassed to
turn around and find out. As she reached the servers' station, she began filling her pitcher again, and
the Asian man was speaking.
I don't know if you were all on time or not because there was a pretty big crowd of
reporters surrounding today's speaker and it was a bit crowded outside. But we're all
here now and we're in for a treat. When I heard he accepted our request to make an
appearance and share his life with us, I was ecstatic. Of course, all of you have heard
of the Billionaire Bachelor. But his fame and fortune are not why he is so valuable to
the world and to us today. You may know that he started out with nothing, growing
up in the Nebraska farm country. He worked hard his entire life – his entire short life
so far, I might add – and through that hard work he has become one of the richest
men in the world. He has graced the covers of magazines like Time, Newsweek,
Business Week, the Wall Street Journal, Outside and many others. His tech company
has gone up against some industry giants and just keeps getting bigger and better. To
go with all those smarts, he's awfully handsome and charming too. But even with all
his success, his good looks and talent, he's still a regular guy. Someone anyone can
talk to. He gives more to his favorite charities than anyone I know…and if he weren't
so nice he'd be an easy guy to hate. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in giving a
warm California welcome to today's speaker, Zach Anthony.
The room erupted in applause. Pearl tried to see him but she couldn't because the entire
room was standing, clapping and whistling. Whoever he was, she thought, he sounded incredible.
“Thank you, thank you. Please sit down now,” the man said, but Pearl still couldn't see from
her vantage point.
As everyone sat and the room quieted, Pearl saw the man for the first time.
“Oh no!” she blurted loudly. “That's just great.” Every person at the table she was serving
turned to look. “Sorry, I stubbed my toe on a chair.”
28
Pearl couldn't believe the lap she doused with water belonged to the Billionaire Bachelor
guy, the guy everyone had made such a fuss over. The guy she thought was gorgeous. The one she
wanted to keep talking to but was too embarrassed to stick around. Now, she thought, what's a guy
like that ever going to see in me? I finally met a nice, sweet, beautiful man and he's the Billionaire
Bachelor, probably quite the player with the ladies and I'm sure he wants some young, cute
professional who is very poised. And who doesn't already have a kid. Nice try, Pearl thought. What
in the world were you thinking, filling your head with silly dreams again?
As she stood there and thought about how ridiculous she felt, she heard the Billionaire
Bachelor say something.
“I would like all of you to give our servers a big round of applause because if it weren't for
them we would not be having this amazing dining experience today.”
As the whole room erupted in applause, Pearl smiled and gave a quick wave before she
turned to go refill her water pitcher. Once she had it topped off, she turned and stood, staring up at
Zach Anthony on the big screen next to the stage. He was even better looking on the giant screen.
He radiated confidence and kindness and Pearl couldn't stop looking.
“Earth to Pearl,” Sarah said as she came back for a coffee refill. “I see, uh huh, got a thing
for the Billionaire Bachelor? Well get in line honey. We all do.”
Pearl didn't say a word. She just kept looking at the giant screen, trying to listen to the words
he was telling the spellbound audience.
“Listen, everyone, I will spare you the details about my tech company. There has been
more than enough written about that and there's nothing left to tell. Besides, we all know
it's not what you do, but how you do it, right? We do what we do with a certain amount of
belief, enthusiasm and persistence. I have learned a great deal about life and people on my
journey. In fact, I feel a bit odd sharing my story with all of you when some of you have
been my mentors and role models for years.
Knowing so many of you and learning so much from you led me to a conclusion. That
none of us becomes great on our own. There are many people along the journey who are
there when you need them. They're there to offer a hand, a step up, a kind word, a bit of
encouragement when you need it most. They are the people who help us along in life's
journey.
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You know, I like to think of each of us as a beautiful, complicated puzzle. We're not
sure what the puzzle will look like when it's completed, but every experience, every person
who comes into our lives, helps bring those pieces together. Sometimes, it takes time, it
takes hard work and persistence to find those missing pieces. Sometimes we find them
right away and sometimes we don't.
In the end, you can look back on your life and realize that every adversity, every
person, every experience is a gift. When that day comes that you have to leave this earth,
only one question will matter: What is my legacy? Will people remember you for the
impact you had on them and the world around you? Will your children and grandchildren
speak of you fondly, and talk about the difference you had on them and the rest of the
world? How many people will come to honor you the day you pass on?
Sure, a lot of us in this room have a lot of money. But none of that makes a difference
if we as human beings don't add value to the world and make it a better place for everyone,
for all of us, and for all of our children.
There is a line in my favorite movie that many of you may remember. Tom Hanks
plays Forrest Gump and he liked to quote his momma by saying ‘Life is like a box of
chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.’ It's a clever little point in a great film.
But if you ask me, I believe we all know exactly what we're going to get. We have a
choice. We have a choice of what we do and who we are in this life. So stop buying the
chocolates if you don't know what they are and if they're not what you want. Decide what
you want and never stop running until you get it. Which leads me to another great line
‘Run Forrest, Run.’”
Zach smiled and the room was dead quiet for several seconds before it exploded in
applause. After it died down, he continued for another hour and the more he spoke, the more
Pearl fell for him. She kept thinking about his big heart and wondered who could resist such a
guy. What chance, she thought, would she ever have with such a wonderful human being.
Everything that happened was a blur. Pearl couldn't remember a single detail from the past
hour except what Zach had said. She knew she had continued to walk from table to table, refilling
glasses, but beyond that she had no idea.
30
She was sorry to see the man who had introduced Zach approach the podium. That must
mean his time was almost up. And it was. He offered a few final words and reminded the crowd of
that famous line, 'Run, Forrest, Run.'
Again, the crowd erupted, this time louder than before and it made Pearl's ears hurt but she
didn't care. She was just happy when Mr. Kin asked Zach if he could spare a few minutes more.
“Zach, great speech. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we're inspired by your giving
heart. Do you have a few minutes to answer a few questions?”
“I'd be glad to Leonard.”
Hands popped up all over. Kin pointed to Abigail.
“Zach,” Abigail said, and she hesitated just for a second. “Can I just wrap you up and take
you home? My husband won't mind. He won't hear anything. He doesn't even know what I'm saying
to you right now.” Everyone looked over at Abigail's husband who waved and smiled.
The room shook with laughter. “Well, Miss Abigail, it's a great offer and one I will
definitely have to consider.”
“Thanks Abigail,” Kin offered. “Okay, other questions.”
As half the room raised their hands, Kin pointed to a man near the back of the room.
The man, dressed in blue jeans and a blue coat, stood. “Thank you for your time this
morning, Zach. I know you do a ton of philanthropic work. What do you think is the most important
thing we can do to improve the lives of others during this tough economic time we're in?”
“I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name,” Zach said.
“It's Jason,”
“Ah, great, Jason. Let me start by saying this is something that keeps me up many nights
and, unfortunately, I'm not sure I have the right answer for you but I'm willing to give you my
interpretation. For starters, I believe we need to stop fighting with one another and focus on what
we want, not on what we don't. We must learn to forgive and forget. And teach our children that
happiness does not stem from the amount of money in your bank account though, admittedly, one of
my mentors said it's ranks right up there with air as a necessity. We must realize that money is just
energy. So the more energy you give to the world, the more energy you give to others, the more
energy comes back to you. Simple as that. The more you pay it forward, the more you pass it on, the
more happiness comes back to you. And it comes back in many different forms.
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“If you want more love, give more love. If you want more money, give more money. If you
want respect, give respect. What you are not getting is in direct proportion to what you're not
giving.
“I could go into politics, health care, religion and many other things. But honestly, our
problems lie within each one of us. And we must change ourselves to see changes around us. I hope
that helps Jason. ”
“Thanks Zach” replied Jason. “It does.”
“We have time for one more question” stated Kin
A woman in the front row stood after Kin pointed at her.
“Hi, Zach, my name's Alexandria. Thank you for being here today.”
“My pleasure,” Zach said into his microphone with a smile.
“Who is the one person in your life that helped you become the man you are today?”
Zach reached for his glass and slowly raised it to his lips. He took just a sip before setting it
back down.
“Alexandria, huh, beautiful name, by the way.”
Alexandria blushed and smiled nervously at the people around her table.
“There are many people that have impacted me in incredible ways. But the one person who
played the biggest role in me becoming who I am today was my dad.”
A smattering of applause filtered through the audience before Zach continued.
“My mother left us when I was young and I saw my dad go through really tough times
dealing with it. And to tell you the truth, I didn't like him much. He wasn't the best role model until
the day he decided to change.”
It was silent in the conference room. Zach reached for another drink of his water. A slight
smile formed on his face and a brief nod before he looked back at Alexandria.
“We were in a car accident, dad and I, and I almost lost him that day. That's when it
occurred to me that life was very precious and that if we are to live full lives, we have to sieze the
day. And that's what became my dad's motto ‘Carpe Diem-Seize The Day’ and has been since that
day he awoke in the hospital. In that accident, he lost an eye. But he didn't lose his heart.”
Pearl, frozen, arm extended, couldn't believe what she just heard Zach say. Could this be
real, she wondered. A cruel joke? The exact same story she heard from George? In the silence of the
room, she stood there replaying the entire day in her head. George singing, telling her why life was
32
so wonderful, the story of his accident, the loss of his eye. And then she remembered, he told her he
had a son named Zach.
Zach continued while Pearl and the rest of the audience looked on. “My dad passed away
five years ago.”
The pitcher that Pearl was holding fell from her weakened grasp. The sound of broken glass
echoed in the silence of the large conference room. Zach looked up from his notes following the
movement of the heads in the crowd towards Pearl. Their eyes met briefly, and then he continued.
“He made it his life to serve others, working as a tow truck driver his entire adult life until
he decided to open his own tow truck company. And he wasn't satisfied with that. He turned it into
a franchise, one of the most successful towing and hauling franchises in California. He made it big,
but he always wanted to know how working people lived. So he'd just take a job anywhere to learn
more about the people and what he could do to make their lives better. Even though he had millions,
he would go wherever he wanted. He worked as a trash man, a janitor, a bagger at the grocery store,
a donut maker. Those are just the ones I know of; I'm sure there are many others. One thing my
father never did was let his ego get in the way of his service to others. He would look at me and say,
'Zach, it doesn't matter what I've done, I wake up and put my pants on one leg at a time, just like the
other guys.' And don't get me wrong, dad liked to live it up too. He loved great food, wonderful
wine and traveling to beautiful places around the world. He loved life all the way down to his
synthetic snakeskin boots. But he never, ever forgot that each day was a gift and that living in
service to others was the greatest reward a man could have.”
Pearl couldn’t move. The broken glass still scattered around her feet, she searched her brain
for an answer but there wasn't one. What was happening? she wondered. She was just with George
that morning and he talked very openly about his life and all the details. The same details Zach just
talked about. And he gave her a card. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at it again.
George’s Auto & Body Shop
777 Pearl Street
Irvine, California
Pearl flipped over the card to read once again a phrase that kept coming up.
“CARPE DIEM”
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Pearl felt a bit sick to her stomach. She was confused, a bit scared and unsure of what was
going on. She turned towards the back of the room and slipped off her server's jacket and handed it
to Sarah as she passed. She was brushing by people and bumping tables and chairs, she hit a server's
tray and food scattered everywhere.
“Hey!” the server said.
“Sorry,” Pearl blurted back, never slowing.
She grabbed a quick glance back at Zach to see him looking at her. He seemed disappointed,
sad. But she didn't stop. She ran into the hallway and down the back stairs. She thought she heard
Zach apologizing but she couldn't be sure. As she pushed open the heavy metal door, she entered
the back of the lounge near the bar and immediately spied Raymond.
“Pearl, where have you been? I got done early and have been looking all over for you.”
“Come on Raymond, I have to get out of here.”
“What happened? You look like you got into a food fight.”
“I'll tell you in the car, but right now we have to leave.”
When they came out the lobby door into the front of the hotel, the valet had Raymond's car
waiting for him. As the young man reached out with the keys, Pearl grabbed them and jumped in
the passenger seat of the car. She honked the horn as Raymond fished around in his pocket for a tip.
She honked again.
“Raymond, I have to go now.”
Raymond jumped in the car, threw it in gear and started down the driveway. Pearl twisted
her head around, looking back at the hotel as they made their way down the long cobblestone drive.
She thought she saw Zach running up to the valet as they turned out onto Chapel Street.
“What was that all about Pearl?”
“Please, Raymond, just drive. I can't think straight right now.”
What Pearl didn't see was Zach asking the valet if he'd seen the pretty lady with the glasses
and the food-stained clothes. She left in the black Honda, Zach was told, and she didn't see how
disappointed he was to hear that.
Once everything calmed down a bit, Raymond asked again.
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“Okay, Pearl, how did you get all that food on you? And why the terrible rush?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“C'mon Pearl, give me a shot.”
“Well, the only way to tell you is to just tell you. I just hope you can keep up.”
“I'm pretty smart Pearl, so try me.”
“Alright, I got hired accidently as a server because I was at the wrong place at the wrong
time. The money was good and I was bored so I decided to do it. All I had to do was pour water.
That's not hard. So I spilled water on a really amazing guy, then found out the tow truck driver who
picked me up this morning was Mr. Right's dad and Mr. Right ended up telling the audience that his
dad was dead. He died five years ago, Raymond. Now, take me to this address, please, it's the dead
father's garage, the guy I met this morning…I think.”
“Hold on, you're telling me that you just lost your job only to get hired by accident as a
server at the hotel where you met Prince Charming which, by the way, offends me because I'm so
good looking, and now you want me to take you to the dead father's garage? You've lost your mind,
Pearl.”
“I have to get to the bottom of this, Raymond.”
“Why don't we just grab some dinner, have a drink and calm down. It's been a heck of a
day.”
“I'm not crazy, Raymond, I'm totally serious. Just take me there, please.”
After looking at her pleading brown eyes, Raymond agreed.
“Sure, but not because you have any control over me, or that I would probably do anything
in the entire world for you. I'm just being nice.”
Pearl smiled and leaned across the Honda’s console to give Raymond a kiss on the cheek.
Pearl and Raymond pulled up in front of a white building that looked like an office building
and nothing else. She scanned the signs attached to the building looking for the one that said
“George's Auto & Body Shop” but saw nothing even close. She flipped the card over again and
confirmed they were at the right address. It was the right one, alright. So grabbed the handle and
swung the car door open.
“Pearl, let me come with you.”
“Sure, but I'm not sure how long this will take.”
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Pearl walked up to the front door and opened it. A cheery woman greeted her almost
immediately.
“Can I help you?”
“I'm looking for George's Auto & Body Shop. This is the address I have for it.”
“Well, sweetie, you've found George's Place, a life education center for people needing help
changing their lives. It used to be an auto and body shop but after George passed about five years
ago, his son Zach decided this should be part of his father's legacy. He turned his father's place into
a learning center that is free to anyone who wants to improve their life but just needs a little nudge.
Sound like the kind of place you were looking for?”
“Wait,” Pearl responded, “Zach Anthony owns this place?”
“Sure, it's one of many. He often comes by to spend time with the people here. They have no
idea who he is. He just sits down and talks with them or joins them for dinner. Sometimes he even
becomes someone's secret angel.”
“What's a secret angel?”
“We've got a pretty good staff here and they listen closely for cues that someone is in need.
Whether it's a coat, food or even money. Then they let Mr. Anthony know and that person's needs
are met. We don't do it, we don't help them, we just pass on the information. We have no idea how
he finds the time to be an angel to so many. We like to joke that ol' One-Eyed George is helping
him but we know that's pretty far fetched.”
“Maybe not as much as you think,” Pearl shrugged. She turned toward a wall covered in
newspaper clippings and scanned the headlines. All of them were about George and the many
different jobs he had held. The receptionist got up and slowly walked over to Pearl, stood a bit
behind her and leaned in close.
“You know, honey,” she whispered, “a lot of people come in here because they were
touched by him. Most admitted that they treated him poorly, too, because of the job he had when
they met. I'll never forget the teacher who came in here in tears after she learned about George. She
told me that every single day he walked those school halls and went out of his way to help anyone
and everyone. No job was beneath him. He sometimes left cut flowers on teachers' desks or ordered
pizza for the staff for no reason. Sometimes he even left anonymous notes that would say something
like, 'You are appreciated.' One teacher got really angry when she caught him writing an
inspirational quote on her chalkboard. She called him a psycho and all George did was smile,
wished her a good day and walked away whistling.”
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“Why would someone do such a thing to him?” Pearl stammered, her eyes filling with tears.
“George is one of the nicest people I have ever met.”
“Did you know George?”
“Well, kind of, I mean not really. Actually, I have no idea. All this feels like a dream.”
Pearl choked back a sob and dabbed at the corner of her eye. “What happened to that
teacher?”
“She's doing just fine. Won a big award for developing an innovative way for improving
communications between teachers and students. She made “The Shift.”
Pearl turned, and looked right at the receptionist. “Why do I keep hearing about “The Shift”
and how do I make it? I want to change, I want to feel happy. I don't want to be angry and upset
anymore. I don't want to yell at my son. I want to enjoy all the richness of life. Help me. Help me
make “The Shift.”
Everything started to tilt. Then it started getting dark and Pearl felt like she was being
sucked into a black hole that was closing in around her. Someone was saying her name over and
over…
“Pearl, Pearl, hey, I just saw her eyes move. Hurry, get the nurse,” Pearl heard someone say.
Her eyes were heavy, she ached deep inside. What happened? She remembered talking to the
receptionist and Raymond was there and then nothing. Blinking, she could see someone who looked
like her mother stood over her. And there was dad.
“Pearl, Pearl honey,” her mother gasped. “It's a miracle. Thank God you're awake, honey.
It's okay now.”
Confusion washed over Pearl. Where am I? What happened? she wondered. Her eyes
searched the room frantically trying to figure it out. A hospital room. She opened her mouth to
speak but nothing came out. A doctor walked through the door and asked everyone to move. He
looks familiar, Pearl thought. Like the business man, Kin, from the seminar.
“Pearl,” the doctor said, “can you hear me? If you can, please nod your head.”
Pearl nodded.
“I'm Doctor Kin, and you were in a car accident and have been unconcious for a few days.
Everything is going to be okay. I just need you to stay calm and take things very slowly. Okay?”
Pearl nodded at Doctor Kin but was still confused. Tears bunched at the corners of her eyes
and rolled off her face onto the pillow. Pearl's mother started to cry too.
37
“This is normal, the
doctor said. “At this stage she's confused and scared. The best thing for you to do is to stay with her,
talk to her calmly and reassure her. Let her know how much you love her.”
Pearl coughed “dad” out and everyone turned toward her. She looked up at her father and
slowly moved her cracked lips. The words came in fits, more air than anything, and her eyes
swelled with tears again.
“Dad, I'm sorry to make you come back from your trip.”
“Don't be silly, honey, I'd move mountains for you. We'll be here next to you and never
leave until you're better.”
“Where's Jacob?”
“He's in the waiting room Pearl,” her mother answered, patting her hand. “He's with several
other children drawing pictures and playing.”
Pearl looked back at her father. His chin quivered and he smiled. When she looked back at
her mother, she seemed a bit anxious.
“Pearl, the man who hit you has been up here every day. He has been so nice and a complete
gentleman. He feels so bad about the accident, and sweetie, he owns that little landscape company
right down the street from where we used to live. He loves gardening Pearl! He knows so much
about plants and trees and he even gave me a tip to save my dying tomato plant! Anyway, there
have been times when he would sit up here with you when everyone else was so exhausted and
needed to go home. I'm going to call him now. He wanted me to call him when you woke up.”
“Mom,” Pearl said, her voice a bit clearer. “No. I don't know him. I don't feel like seeing
anyone right now.”
Like always, Mary was already heading toward the door and had her cell phone out. As she
turned in the hallway, Jacob brushed past her moving as fast as his little feet would carry him.
“Mommy, mommy,” he screamed.
Pearl turned her head as far as she could until sharp pain reached deep into the center of her
brain. From the corner of her eye, she could see the most beautiful face in the world standing there.
Pearl grabbed Jacob's hand, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The memory of that morning
came back to life, flickering behind the tired, heavy eyelids like an old film, and more tears ran
down her cheeks.
“I love you Jacob. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, honey. I want you to know you can make all the
food you want for me. I love you more than all the stars in the sky.”
“I love you too mommy. Are you better?”
38
“Yes, honey. And I won't leave you again. Promise.”
Jacob laid his little body over the rail of her hospital bed and she squeezed him as tight as
she could. Exhausted, Pearl closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep.
The next morning, Pearl woke and felt less confused and exhausted. The sun filtered through
the windows and she was energized by its warmth. She began to sit up when her mother walked
through the door with two coffees.
“Doc said you could have some coffee this morning so I got you one of those coffees you
like so much.”
“Mom, where's Jacob?”
“He's at school sweetie. He missed a few days and we thought it was a good idea to get him
back into a routine while you regained your strength. And the man who ran into you is here. He's
been waiting to see you ever since I called him last night.”
“Mom, I can't. I don't want to see anyone. This is really uncomfortable.”
“Well, your call. But he's really handsome. And really nice. He'd make a great father for
Jacob.”
“Stop, mom, this isn't anytime for your jokes. You're being ridiculous.”
“I'd say she's being absurdly ridiculous,” a man's voice came from just outside the door.
Pearl looked up from fiddling with the lid on her coffee to see an incredibly handsome man
standing in the doorway. She tried for words but they just wouldn't come. He looked on and smiled
gently. She tried again.
“How can you be real?”
“Well, last time I checked I was real. Name's Zach Anthony. I'm glad to see you’re finally
awake.”
Zach took a step toward her bed and as she looked up at him, she realized he was exactly as
she had remembered. He was tall, dark featured and with a gentleness that felt safe. If this is another
dream, she thought, I don't want to wake up.
39
FUTURE
Pearl woke to a soft kiss on her cheek and a whisper that warmed her heart.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
Smiling, Pearl stretched under the covers and opened her eyes to see Zach already dressed
and holding a cup of coffee for her. She felt a tingle in her stomach, just as she had every time he
looked at her. Every single time. His gentle eyes, his warm smile, every single moment was a gift to
be treasured.
“Today is the day. I'll see you downstairs. Enjoy your coffee.”
Pearl sat up in bed and cupped her coffee with both hands, letting the warmth spread through
her fingers. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and fished for her slippers with her clumsy
feet. Once they were snug on her feet, she stood and walked toward the double doors, which were
already ajar.
“Thank you,” she said in a whisper as she stepped between the cracked doors and out onto
the balcony. On the lake below, ducks bobbed gently on the water and Pearl smiled, took a deep
breath and repeated to herself. “Thank you.”
Just last year Zach had planted a beautiful rose garden for Pearl. With as many different
colors imaginable. He and Jacob also made walkways through the garden with things Pearl had said
engraved on the stones. It was a surprise, of course. She had been working so hard, traveling the
country, doing interviews, speaking to different organizations and she had felt exhausted. All the
hard work she put into her business had paid off. She now had a loving husband who wasn’t
actually a billionaire, but in her mind, she knew money couldn't bring her the joy he did. In some
ways, she thought, it was God's way of giving her something wonderful to replace all the hurt and
hardship she had endured.
Jacob had turned into an amazing human being. He was 14 and had such a caring heart.
Even though he had gone through a phase where he wanted nothing to do with Pearl or Zach, that's
all it was – a phase. Pearl had decided that it was easy and natural for children to love when they see
their parents loving. And with such a great heart, Pearl knew that their hard work would pay off
when Jacob found his true calling. It wasn't easy, raising him differently, teaching him to be
authentic, to be true to himself and to love others without limits every single day.
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This was her favorite time, a quiet time, a time of reflection when she could look back on
the past and the adversity and the struggles, the things that made her who she was. She realized that
without those things, she couldn't be where she was. And standing here before all the magnificent
creation, first imagined by God, she was simply, grateful.
As much as she wanted to linger, it was a big day and time was getting away from her. She
slipped back through the doors and headed to the bathroom, following the same path, the same
routine she had since they moved into their dream home. In front of the giant mirror, she looked up
and felt overwhelming joy at how things had turned out. Gratitude poured into her heart and she
looked back at all the people and experiences that made it all possible.
The image in the mirror was older, maybe wiser, but the mature woman looking back at her
didn't look aged, or tired, or lonely and sad. That face looked happy, fulfilled, beautiful. And that
face didn't scrutinize the body that belonged to it. Instead, that face looked gratefully upon
everything, for the life that was being lived to the fullest. That face, Pearl's face, smiled and said
another quiet “thank you.”
Pearl carefully picked through her clothes until she found the outfit she wanted. As she
sifted through her earrings, she thought about that day when she woke in the hospital and though
she was never sure how it all happened and how it all worked out, she was convinced now more
than ever that angels were guiding her – and all people – through the journey of life.
When she was finally satisfied that every detail was perfect, she walked downstairs. She was
met with the smell of eggs, bacon and toast. Laughter also filtered from the kitchen, and she knew
Zach and Jacob were having a wonderful time making breakfast together. She smiled to herself
once again. “Thank you,” she whispered.
There on the table was a vase spilling over with fresh, beautiful flowers and nearby were the
two men that meant more to her than anything.
“How'd you sleep, mom?” Jacob asked.
“Fine honey, just fine.” She admired how mature he looked now that he was a teenager. He
was handsome and boyish and slowly turning into a young man and she was very proud.
“What beautiful flowers. Who would these be for?”
“They’re yours mom, and there's a note.”
Pearl grabbed the small envelope and pulled it open. Inside was an embossed card that was
expertly lettered. She read it aloud.
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Mom, you are truly the best. Thanks for being my rock and showing me dreams do come
true. Love you more than all the stars up in the sky.
Jacob
Pearl felt a single tear drip down her cheek. She walked over to Jacob and squeezed him,
then motioned to Zach to join them, and all three of them stood there wrapped in each other's arms.
Her little boy was turning into a polite and compassionate person like she had always hoped. And
for a moment, she felt a flutter of sadness as she realized he was growing up and would never need
her to kiss a boo boo again, or tie his shoes so he wouldn't trip over them. But then she smiled, and
squeezed him even tighter.
As they pulled from the driveway, Jacob was quiet in the backseat. Pearl felt very centered
and completely calm. There wasn't a hint of anxiety, no butterflies in her stomach. It was the
moment she had been waiting for her entire life and she was ready, she knew exactly what to do.
Pearl was ready to serve.
As they pulled into the drive of the beautiful hotel, she wasn’t surprised to see that it was the
Ritz. She just nodded knowingly and whispered, “it figures.”
After dropping the car off with the valet, she walked through the front doors, past the lobby and
right to the conference room she knew so well but had never been to before in her life. Inside, there
were dozens of people who were obviously very successful. They all turned to see her and smiled as
she walked by. Pearl, Zach and Jacob were led to a table up front that had a reserved sign on it. As
they were sitting, a man in a beautiful suit stepped up to the lecturn and tapped the microphone
twice.
I want to introduce our wealth builder speaker for today. This woman has proven that
whatever the mind can dream it can achieve. When she started this journey, she was
a single mother, she had no money and was raising a child on her own. She was
afraid, scared that the future held nothing positive for her or her son. Today, Pearl
Anthony owns Carpe Diem Catering, one of the country's finest and largest catering
businesses that is not only serving your meal today, but is one of the fastest growing
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franchises in the world. She has been ranked as one of America's most influential
business women. Her philanthropic work touches hundreds of thousands all over the
world in many different and wonderful ways. She has also dedicated herself to our
youth and can frequently be found teaching success principles at local schools, the
same principles she'll be talking about today. When asked what her biggest
accomplishment has been, she didn't hesitate in saying that the fortune she amassed
didn't matter. Rather, she said every day is an accomplishment because she has the
opportunity to live, laugh and love. And to create carpe diem moments.
Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in giving a warm welcome to Pearl
Anthony.
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