Negativity and selfishness gets great publicity in our social networking, indirect-contact society. You’d be led to believe the world’s running low on good people and that no one cares for or respects one another anymore. Their only concerns are themselves; and when they’re in need, no one is willing to lend them a hand without reward.
This is not the case. Kind, caring, selflessly-generous people still exist. Sydney Walters is a shining example.
A thought-provoking writer, copywriter, and digital marketer, Walters is the author of State of Grace. The first fiction novel of a series based on true events, the story follows a young woman from Centralia trying to overcome horrific personal tragedies.
A native of Washington D.C., Walters is an avid explorer of historic ruins and abandoned places around the world. She draws creative inspiration from her many intriguing adventures.
While good at what she does, she’s also a good person and one who believes in helping others.
I asked Sydney Walters to tell me about a time when she did something nice for someone that she didn’t know. Here’s what she shared.
“A little goes a long way. It’s one of the cliche phrases that I actually stick to, and a little can go a long way with a simple act of kindness.
While I was writing my first novel, I was excited to know that complete strangers would read my work. Still, I was much more excited for my friends and family to read it… when one of them said that they probably never will.
My first reaction was to take it personally; I am human, after all. But I took a step back from myself and pursued the reason anyway.
“Why’s that?”
They went on to tell me that they hadn’t picked up a book since they were in grade school.
“Well, it’s good to get back into reading sometimes,” I nudged to them.
That still wasn’t it. This friend of mine, who’s name I won’t mention, opened up to tell me they that they’re dyslexia.
They hadn’t read a book since the days of mandatory book reports, and even then, they would use Google to write up a paper about it.
They told me that they could never focus on more than three or four words at a time without the letters crossing, switching, or overlapping. After a page or two, the reading gave them headaches.
“I used to throw books across the room, and I don’t want to do that to a friend,” they told me.
So, that’s when I began my research. I wanted to support my friend along with any other readers with dyslexia.
Dyslexia is not an imaginary condition that kids use for attention, or to get out of a book report. It is more like a learning disability and should be treated for what it is: real.
I learned what I could, and I implemented that into my book. This is what I’ve worked on:
State of Grace is printed on cream pages instead of white pages to make it a little easier on the eyes.
It is also a double-spaced book, so that there is an extra blank area in between the lines.
The font I chose for my novel is a sans serif font, so what you see is what you get without all of the fancy little wiggly notes.
Last but not least, the format of my novel is consistent, and the chapters are notably short.
I plan to do this with my second novel as well as any other novels that I write for my series, and any other printed works in the future.
On September 7th 2021, when my book hits shelves and online outlets, I’m very happy to know that my friend will be reading it. I hope this will persuade others to give it a read as well.” |THIS.
[By Mr. Joe Walker]
“We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving.” – ‘We Are the World’
