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| Congrats, Monica!!! |
Here is a first of hopefully many guest posts we will have here at thestevestrout.com. Keep in mind, any opinions are the guests' and don't always reflect that of this site. Our guest is the man behind Zombie A.C.R.E.S. and the author of Alice in Zombieland, my friend, and up and coming writer, Joshua Cook...Take it away Josh.
In a child’s life there are many firsts that a parent gets to look forward to. Unfortunately, many of these firsts were stolen from me through lies and deceit, but now my family and I have a chance to fight for my Baby Bri and still experience a lifetime full of new experiences.
Among these firsts I am looking forward to will be watching some of my favorite childhood shows with my Baby Bri. Say What?! Ok, so it may not be one of the most normal firsts in a child’s life, but pop culture has always been a big part of my life.
Growing up I spent a lot of time by myself and in my own mind, which can usually be a scary and dangerous place for children. As a way out of that place, I would use television as an escape. I am a whopping 35 years old (which is pretty old according to our host Stevie) and I grew up in the 80’s. This was the decade of cable and pop culture.
I watched some of the most amazing television shows during my childhood – Transformers, Punky Brewster, G.I. Joe and so many more shows that are still held high and cherished today. Of these classic pop culture treasures, there are three that I am most excited to introduce Baby Bri to, although it may take some time before she can really appreciate the awesomeness of the 80’s.
The Greatest American Hero
The Greatest American Hero is my
favorite television show from childhood. As you can tell from
watching any part of the complete pilot episode, this 80’s show was
both cheesy and entertaining, with a mix of values thrown in. One
thing I have appreciated more about The Greatest American Hero as I
have gotten older is that the hero is a school teacher. In a
world where teachers are so often overlooked and underappreciated, I
am happy to be able to show Baby Bri a piece of pop culture history
that holds a teacher up high for change.
Reading Rainbow
Who doesn’t like the classic television show Reading Rainbow? Lucky for children of today, this 80’s show all about the joys of reading is available as an app, so the name and tradition will carry on. Reading was always important to me, which is why I became an author, and I strongly believe that without a love for reading, you are doomed to a life full of struggles and uphill battles. Enjoying Reading Rainbow together will help me show my Baby Bri that there are limitless worlds full of magic and wonder, all just waiting for her to open them.
Scooby-Doo
Do I really have to explain this one? Baby Bri is already a big lover of animals (especially our Sam Dogg), and Scooby-Doo is one of the most loveable animals in the world. Already she enjoys watching Scooby, Shaggy and the rest of the Mystery Gang go crime solving. Scooby-Doo is about fun and enjoying childhood, which is an important life lesson in itself. Never grow up and never take yourself too seriously. Enjoy life and make the most of it.
I wrote this piece to have a little fun
and talk about some great television shows, but I also want to bring
some awareness to a personal fund raising program that I have
started. I said earlier that my family and I are fighting to be in
Baby Bri’s life, but without legal representation, we are afraid
that this uphill battle may be lost.
These legal costs can run high into the thousands, and that is why a fund raising campaign was created. We are hoping to help lighten some of the burden of this unexpected cost. Please visit GoFundMe.com/HelpBabyBriAndDaddy to read more of Baby Bri’s story and see what you can do to help. If you can’t donate, but still want to help, we are looking for ‘street team’ members to help share links and even post up or hand out campaign flyers.
Hopefully none of these funds will ever have to be used and we can settle outside of court. Any unused funds raised for Baby Bri’s legal fund will be donated to Holly House for Kids. Holly House is a local group that helps needy and low-income children and families during the holidays.
As a way of paying it forward, I have temporarily dropped the price of my Zombie A.C.R.E.S. ebook AiZ: Alice in Zombieland (Complete Saga) to 99 cents and will be donating ALL proceeds to Holly House. Any sales of AiZ: Alice in Zombieland (Complete Saga) between May 1 and August 31 will be donated to Holly House for Kids. Follow the links below to grab a fun read and help out families in need.
Amazon Kindle Store: http://bit.ly/AiZCharity
All Digital Formats at Smashwords: http://bit.ly/AiZSmashwords