Everybody Has A Dream
—by Virginia Satir
Some years ago I took on an assignment in a southern county to work with people on public welfare. What I wanted to do was show that everybody has the capacity to be self-sufficient and all we have to do is to activate them. I asked the county to pick a group of people who were on public welfare, people from different racial groups and different family constellations. I would then see them as a group for three hours every Friday. I also asked for a little petty cash to work with, as I needed it.
Notewelfare: n. 福利 capacity: n. 能力,才能The first thing I said after I shook hands with everybody was, "I would like to know what you dreams are." Everyone looked at me as if I were kind of wacky."Dreams? We don't have dreams."
I said. "Well, when you were a kid what happened? Wasn't there something you wanted to do?"
One woman said to me, "I don't know what you can do with dreams. The rats are eating up my kids."
"Oh," I said. "That's terrible. No, of course, you are very much involved with the rats and your kids. How can that be helped?"
"Well, I cold use a new screen door because there are holes in my screen door."
I asked, "Is there anybody around here who knows how to fix a screen door?"
There was a man in the group, and he said, "A long time ago I used to do things like that but now I have a terribly bad back, but I'll try."
I told him I had some money if he would go to the store and buy some screening and go and fix the lady's screen door. "Do you think you can do that?"
"Yes, I'll try."
The next week, when the group was seated, I said to the woman, "Well, is your screen door fixed?"
"Oh, yes," she said.
"Then we can start dreaming, can't we?" She sort of smiled at me.
I said to the man who did the work, "How do you feel?"
He said, "Well, you know, it's a very funny thing. I'm beginning to feel a lot better."
That helped the group to begin to dream. These seemingly small successes allowed the group to see that dreams were not insane. These small steps began to get people to see and feel that something really could happen.
I began to ask other people about their dreams. One woman shared that she always wanted to be a secretary. I said, "Well, what stands in your way?"
(That's always my next question.)
She said, "I have six kids, and I don't have anyone to take care of them while I'm away."
"Let's find out," I said. "Is there anybody in this group who would take care of six kids for a day or two a week while this woman gets some training here at the community college?"
One woman said, "I got kids, too, but I could do that."
"Let's do it," I said. So a plan was created and the woman went to school.
Everyone found something. The man who put in the screen door became a handyman. The woman who took in the children became a licensed foster care person. In 12 weeks I had all these people off public welfare. I've not only done that once, I've done in many times.体坛英语资讯:Los Angeles Lakers part way with Luke Walton
The Trash In Tourist Sites 旅游景点垃圾满为患
国际英语资讯:Canada suspends operations at embassy in Venezuela
锻炼比财富更能使人快乐
国际英语资讯:Roundup: Greek conservatives win local elections in crucial test ahead of early national pol
真相了!没结婚没孩子的女性更幸福
国内英语资讯:Reform plan on govt responsibilities for education expenditure unveiled
国际英语资讯:New Thai Queens biography officially released
体坛英语资讯:Roundup: China knocks out Denmark, Thailand sinks South Korea at Sudirman Cup
国际英语资讯:20 terrorists killed in multilateral operation in Nigeria: military spokesperson
国内英语资讯:Chinese FM holds phone talk with French presidents diplomatic counselor
2019年6月英语六级作文范文:白日梦
国际英语资讯:UN Security Council to highlight Arab issues in June: council president
国际英语资讯:Spotlight: U.S. unwilling to lose global dominance, experts say
体坛英语资讯:2022 World Cup to keep 32-team format, says FIFA
My Idol 我的偶像
国际英语资讯:Protests, pomp as U.S. president in UK for state visit
俄罗斯的火箭,刚发射就被雷劈了
离婚前,女性应准备这三份文件
国内英语资讯:Chinese FM issues alert for safety in U.S.
国内英语资讯:Belt and Road land-sea development forum held in Chongqing
国际英语资讯:Nigerian first lady bemoans high rates of bandit attacks
国际英语资讯:Cambodia, Timor-Leste vow to enhance bilateral ties
国内英语资讯:Chinese vice president visits Germany, vows closer cooperation
国内英语资讯:Where there are threats, there are defenses: Chinese defense minister on South China Sea
2019年6月英语四级作文预测:不文明行为
体坛英语资讯:Interview: Chinese basketball girls dream comes true
新地质时代来临!地球进入“人类世”
年龄18,虚岁20!韩国议员提议摒弃虚岁传统
国内英语资讯:World Transport Convention to be held in Beijing