Gene Wilder got me through a lot as a kid. His quirky portrayal of Willy Wonka to Peter Olstrum's Charlie Bucket was a lifeline.
My childhood was rocky due to poverty. It seemed like we could never get ahead. Bankruptcy rolled around after we tried to get my extended family visas to stay in the U.S. rather than return to their war-torn homeland. The negative balances stuck around because my family had numerous, severe health problems.
This isn't a sob story.
I never lost hope that we would make it out of the cockroach palaces that doubled as low-rent apartments complexes. Why? Because Charlie Bucket made it out. He got a golden ticket, but that's not what won him access to a different life. It was his positive outlook and persistence in having it seen.
Charlie was trustworthy and kind, and he kept his eye out for the Willy Wonka's of the world. Not for the money, but because, like Grandpa Joe and his mother, the people who persevere at putting kindness into the world are the world changers. The music makers. The dreamers of dreams.
There was something about Gene Wilder that brought Willy Wonka's humanity beyond the screen. His smile made me believe that magic does happen when we put our best foot forward. So I never lost hope.
As a result, several opportunities have arisen that allow me to pursue my dreams in my writing niche. And now I'm doing it outside that niche, right here on Steemit. I'm living pure imagination.