Collection of Curated Stories on ILLUMINATION-Curated

Selected Stories by MaryJo Wagner, PhD hosted on ILLUMINATION-Curated

An Actor Played My Father in “Band of Brothers”

#WORLD WAR TWO 2 #BAND OF BROTHERS #D-DAY

My birth-father John Derrick Halls, a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne, was killed by Nazi gunfire on D-Day, June 6, 1944. And actor played his part in Steven Spielberg’s HBO Series “Band of Brothers.”

The Past Makes Us Who We Are

#GOLD RUSH #PIONEERS #HISTORY

My Great-grandfather Herman came west to what is now Denver, Colorado in 1859. He hoped to strike it rich during the Gold Rush. After digging for gold proved futile, he opened a saddlery business. His wife Anna followed in 1860, crossing the Overland Trail with a covered wagon. After proving up on a homestead, she raised 7 children, had her own cattle brand, and built one of the first brick houses in Denver.

The Piano Recital: A Near-death Experience

#MEMOIR #MUSIC #BACH

Although I loved my piano, even practicing, I was traumatized by required piano recitals. I gave up the piano to sing in choirs. My career as a chorister came to an end the night I almost fell off the risers while singing the Bach Mass in D-Minor with large choir, organ, chamber orchestra, and harpsichord.

What Can You Do When the World Is Falling Apart Around Us?

#INSPIRATION #MENTAL HEALTH #SELF IMPROVEMENT

Smiling which is easy, quick, and changes your brain pattern can take you from down in the dumps to feeling positive. Eating a piece of chocolate, petting your cat help too. Try singing or taking a walk. Purposely doing something that feels takes the edge off. If done consistently, it improves the quality of our life during these difficult times.

Post Your Content Everywhere

#CONTENT MARKETING #WRITING #LITTLE WOMEN

Louisa May Alcott died a millionaire from the sale of Little Women and other books. An astute business woman, she was the bread winner in her family. Her story about writing, publishing, and marketing has lessons for authors today. Her books were serialized and sold in many editions, a reminder about the benefits of repurposing. She listened to readers and changed Little Women to please them.

Watching John Lewis’ Homegoing

#CIVIL RIGHTS #JOHN LEWIS #HISTORY

John Lewis, Civil Rights leader, had his skull crushed marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. My granddaughters marched across the Bridge in honor of the 50th anniversary of Lewis’ march and in memory of a less well-known activist, Jonathan Daniels, murdered while protecting a young Black woman.

I thank Dr Mehmet Yildiz and the ILLUMINATION editors for their encouragement of my writing in Illumination-Curated.