REACHING FOR THE STARS©
RONNA VEZANE
The series of REACHING FOR THE STARS booklets will include a number of stories with themes that represent the major situations presented to young people in real life: How they experience and react to each situation, and how they eventually overcome and triumph. These entertaining love/adventure stories, and the workbook section at the end of each story, will give the reader the option to delve deeper into each family life situation, along with suggestions about how to make the best, most empowering personal life’s choices.
THE BOOKLETS INCORPORATE A NUMBER OF KEY LIFE SITUATIONS, EACH OF THEM CURRENTLY PREVALENT TODAY IN MILLIONS OF HOMES. SOME OF THE SCENARIOS AND THEMES WILL INCLUDE: ALCOHOL/DRUGS AND OTHER ADDICTIONS ^^ BODY IMAGE AND HONORING THE BODY ^^ COMPETITION, COMPARISON AND PEER PRESSURE ^^ DESTRUCTIVE EMOTIONS OF ANGER AND FEAR ^^ PUNISHMENT AND RIDICULE ^^ RACISM AND BIGOTRY ^^ DISABILITIES AND FEELING “DIFFERENT” ^^ SOCIAL STATUS AND PUBLIC IDENTITY.
FIRST ADVENTURE: PRIDE * POWER * PASSION
Matthew is a powerful young man who is primarily focused on the perfection of his physical body and prowess. He lacks empathy and understanding for women, and he sees them as sex objects. Matthew needs to learn to trust his intuition instead of only following his instincts, and to open his heart in order to trust and honor others. He is raised in an environment of violent family interaction, and as a result, he becomes a childhood bully with low self-esteem, and a big ego that carries over into adulthood. He has a younger brother with refined, delicate features and a small stature who is dominated by his older brother and who is abused by his father. This younger brother, Gabriel, who is artistic/creative and intelligent, is considered “wimpy” when young, but he has an inner strength and wisdom that cannot be shaken. He eventually awakens fully to his creative abilities, and he becomes famous for his sensitive, ethereal paintings and sculpture. When he is 14 years old, Gabriel risks his own life to save Matthew after a freak accident. As a result, Matthew begins to see his younger brother in a totally different light. The two begin to share their innermost thoughts and become close friends.
^^ This story focuses on the effects of alcoholism, violence (both verbal and physical), and how damaging foul, negative and demeaning language can be. The mother has low self-esteem and plays the martyr / victim role. The setting is middle America. The story emphasizes that it is not how we look that is the most important, but how we feel about ourselves, and how we treat others. This is a middle-class family, and the father is a blue-collar worker who perpetuates the abuse he received as a child.
WORK IN PROGRESS: SECOND ADVENTURE ^^ HOW RICH AM I?