My mission for THE MOLECULE is simply for its message to be heard. I feel this wonderful story was given to me as a present and as a duty. It is my deepest pleasure and privilege to pass it on to you now as this gift. Use it as you wish, pass it on if you wish, take its message into your heart and know that it is true.
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Click below to watch the entire story in video:
The Story Behind the Story
The story of the story of the Molecule (can a story have a story) is this. One day I was taking a shower and suddenly I began to "hear" the Molecule in my mind. There I was all soapy and wet and this wonderful story just came into my mind. I stood there under the hot spray and listened. I loved it so much I rinsed off and, still wet and wrapped in a towel, went into my home office and sat down and wrote the story. It later needed editing and such but there it was. You can call it what you like....and inspired idea...creative thought....but I think it was a gift from God, delivered right to my shower.
While I appreciated this "gift” I was busy publishing my book, A FROG IN MY BASEMENT, and I didn't have the time or inclination to do anything with The Molecule. So I put it away and forgot about it. Then one day, for no apparent reason, the story came back into my mind and wouldn't leave. I felt compelled to share it, but I just didn't have room on my very busy plate.
Then another idea came into my head. I am a very good reader and storyteller. In fact, it's what I enjoy most. Why couldn't I just video me reading The Molecule and put it on Utube? That sounded easy. After all, I was just supposed to get the message out there. I wasn't interesting in making money from it. I just wanted to do my job, and frankly, to do it as easily as possible.
So my videographer and niece Paige Erlich agreed to tape me reading THE MOLECULE and then put it on Utube for her technologically challenged aunt. We got all set up. Lights, camera…… big fat flop. The taping session was a complete bomb. I couldn't read one line right. It was beyond ridiculous. No matter what I did, or how I tried I just couldn't do it. Now I am a trained presenter. For over 20 years I have spoken to both small and large groups of people without any difficulty. I’ve been on TV and radio. Each year I make dozens of CD’s with pleasure and ease. But this day, nothing. Nada. Forget it.
As I was seeking comfort from my friends (whining) many of them politely mentioned that, despite my storytelling skills people might not want to look at my face reading for 8 minutes, no matter how entertaining I thought I might be. Honestly, I had to agree with them, but now easy was getting harder.
When I first wrote THE MOLECULE I had asked an artist friend, Suzanne Medina who was going through an artistic block, if she would like to illustrate THE MOLECULE. I hoped doing the illustrations would help her break through her block and help get me off the hook. I was willing to give her the story if she would take the ball and run with it. She started out great with very cute ideas and lots of sketches. But for some reason she too petered out and THE MOLECULE just waited.
Until, as I said, it just popped back into my mind and wouldn't leave. Okay, I thought, I'm just going to get this done. So I asked my wonderful artist granddaughter Camille, then 8, if she would do the illustrations. She agreed and her first illustration was terrific. But then she had to go to bed. And the next day she had soccer and homework. Then was the birthday party she was invited to and a book report due. The idea had been good, but the reality of it, perhaps not so much.
But I called Suzanne and told her she had been replaced by an 8 year old. For some reason this seemed to take a lot of pressure off of her and she pleaded to be re-instated. She had sketches and ideas and no sleep overs.
I'm sorry to tell you that I fired Camille. She took it pretty well since I let her keep the pencils and drawing book, and is probably hardly scarred at all. As it turns out Suzanne ended up doing 135 illustrations. Each one a hand drawn and painted original. Each one, in my opinion, a piece of art in itself. We struggled with concepts and what fit here and what was needed there until finally, after several months of push me/pull you, a few tears and more than a little frustration, THE MOLECULE was finally written, illustrated and ready to go.
I went back to Paige's studio and re-recorded THE MOLECULE. Just like that. Easy as pie. Not even a second take. Paige then went to work doing her magic and put the illustrations to the audio and THE MOLECULE came to life. Paige posted it on Utube and it has been growing ever since.
So there it is. The story of THE MOLECULE. Suzanne and I feel blessed to be able to share it with you. May it bring you happiness, peace and a new understanding of the wondrous oneness of us all.
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