I’m inviting you to be part of a book project I’m involved in. The book is currently titled:

Kids With Character…

21 Stories on How Elementary School Boys & Girls Are Influencing Their Friends and World Today!

or

Character Counts…

21 Stories on Kids With Character Are Influencing Their Friends and Changing the World!

21 Stories on Kids With Character Are Changing the World By Influencing Their Friends!

(I’m also open for title suggestions). It’s a book about kids impacting other kids for the good. An example is attached that I wrote from a personal lesson my son Levi showed.. The stories will be short (ie 500 – 1,000) words; much like the stories in the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. Everyone who submits a story will receive a free, signed copy of the book (whether your story is used or not) and please contact me at 303.944.2277 if you have any questions or want to submit a story.

Thanks for your help and let’s honor our children.

Larry D Bass

Editor and Publisher

303.944.2277

Now…for our example story===>>>

FACING YOUR FEAR…

It was July 25th, 2008. My son Levi and I were attending a young boys retreat at the Tip Top Ranch in Belleview Colorado. It was a trip we took two years ago and he has grown quite a bit since then.

I signed him up to shoot skeet trap. You know what this is. It’s where you shoot at a clay target called a “pigeon.” Without my realizing it, I had signed him up even thought he was not eligible for this activity. He was too young; is was for the boys 13 years and older; Levi is only 10. At the retreat, we saw Levi was not scheduled to participate in the event and it was when I inquired about him not being on the schedule that I was told that he was too young. The man in charge of the activities knew I had paid for the event and gave his permission for Levi to shoot skeet.

As Levi and I were walking up the path to where the activity was, he kept asking if it hurt shooting the shotgun. I knew a shotgun had a “kick” to it but didn’t want to alarm him as to how severe it might be. I told him it kicked a little more than a 22-caliber rifle.

As we got closer, the gunshot sound grew louder…and louder…and louder! I could tell Levi was nervous. We watched the older kids shoot the gun. They were 20 gauge shotguns and each kit could shoot 25 rounds. Approximately seven kids shot the gun before this slightly small kid’s turn came up. He was from Utah. Now, it didn’t matter whether he was from Utah, Colorado or China…I mentioned he was from Utah because he was.

What surprised us was this. This young man had been clowning around with his friends and youth leader for over 45 minutes and gave no indication that he was deathly afraid of the shotgun. He went forward, picked up the gun and froze. His youth leader and the man running the event did all they could to get him to shoot the gun. They even told him he didn’t have to even shoot at one on the clay “pigeons;” that he could just point the gun downrange and fire the gun. After several minutes of working with him, he put the gun down and went back to his friends.

One could tell he didn’t feel he was “part of the gang” because his FEAR immobilized him, then it continued to silently mock and haunt his thoughts telling him he was no good, that he was a failure, a nobody!

[** How often have we allowed fear to immobilized us…then to continually mock us and tell us we’re no good, that we’ll never amount to anything **]

It was Levi’s turn a few minutes later. His concern was evident. He had just witnessed an older boy give into his fears, he understood that the kickback from the shotgun was a lot more violent than a 22 rifle gives. He knew shooting the gun would hurt…hurt a lot!

As he slowly approached the firing line, his stomach began to hurt. His eyes even started to water. He wanted to cry. He wanted to be brave. He did want to shoot the gun. He still wanted to cry.

Levi was shown how to firmly hold the gun against your shoulder so when it kicked, it didn’t hurt so bad. He asked the man in charge how bad it hurts and the man mentioned that it kicked a little more than a 22 rifle. (where had he heard that???)

It was time to fire the gun. Levi raised the rifle, pointed it downrange, was still feeling nervous, still wanted to cry because he just knew it would hurt. Just before he pulled the trigger, he closed his eyes and allowed the gun to move away slightly away from his shoulder.

KER BANG! The gun recoils, it smacks his shoulder – hard. Now the tears want to come. It hurt…it hurt a lot. As a dad, I was proud that he went through with it, that he faced his fear. I knew it would hurt his shoulder for a few hours. I also knew if he didn’t fire the gun at least once and face his fear, it could hurt a lot worse but this time, it could take years to recover. How many opportunities would he miss because he would choose NOT to face his fear.

[** how many of us are going through life being afraid? Of thinking that the worse will happen? Of believing that we’re the victim and there is nothing we can do about it? **]

Well, I’ve got to hand it to Levi. He did want to cry. His lips were quivering. His eyes were watery. Voice shaky. But then he decided to shoot the gun one more time. But this time he would hold it tightly against his shoulder. KER BANG! A second victory. Another fear shot to “kingdom come.” He had overcame.

Now, you probably think this is the end of the story. Well, I glad to write that isn’t. Remember the older boy from Utah. He was watching Levi. He was watching Levi real good. And he was thinking. And believing. Believing that perhaps he could shoot the gun, at least once. And that is what he did. He got his courage up, overcame his fear and shot the gun. He only did it one time, but he did it. He also overcame his fear.

[** You never know who you may influence or be an example for someone else…even without you knowing about it. Levi was being an example of courage, of overcoming his fears, which gave this older boy permission to do the same. So, please realize that others are watching you and you can be either a positive or a negative influence in their lives. The choice is up to you. **]

Happy shooting.

Levi Bass at camp (Aug 2008)