What I told Oprah

I wrote to Oprah a couple weeks ago.   I had to break this down to 200 characters, but here's what I would have liked to send her. . .

I'm a single mother - me and my three young children are journeying in search of true community and the welfare of humanity.  Looking to begin a revolution on the home-front, parting from the traditional options poor divorced mothers are typically given, and holding strong to the idea of intentional, responsible, progressive, serving, and peaceful communities, we will be documenting throughout the year-long adventure across the US on a converted school bus bought with tax return funds and converted with over 15 months of waitress wages in an environmentally 'green' fashion, using veggie oil to fuel the engine.  I will be home-schooling 3 children, driving, posting camp, repairing engines, interviewing intentional community leaders, gypsies, anyone who is consciously living outside our highly specialized and separated Western lives, and looking for the answer.

I have been a single parent for over 4 years, no weekend visits by the children's father and almost all of the time without any child support.  I have a bachelor's degree in Photography, but since I gave up a career in it in lieu of raising the children, when the divorce suddenly took place I was without viable means to financially support my family.  I have decided to search for a life that will allow me to be involved with my children as all parents should be, single or together - a life that is not career-centered, but family centered - to give opportunity to my children to have not just 'some' semblance of family, but ALL knowledge of, and nothing less.  I have refused to continue living in the shadow of welfare and food stamps and poorly funded public schools, voices telling me I can't do better then this, going back to school again for something in which my heart is not, to give up more time having an influence in my kids' lives in order to not need community.

There is a better way.  I want Oprah to show me interest in order to bring this subject to light.  I am creating a documentary about the year long journey that will begin this summer, 2011, across the country, searching out and learning of real community, real difference, real love, real service.  I believe so many of even our nation's biggest problems can be solved at home, but our system is not set up for that.  Our system has a specialized and ready-made answer for everything.  I believe in the village approach to raising strong loving families, and I am committed to finding that model in as many places that I can, and with the beauty of a grassroots, DIY attitude and budget.