Chapter 1

On the beaches of sunny California , everybody looks like they just got off the set of a major television production. Instead of watching all those beautiful bodies playing on the beach, oh, how I wish I could be one. That’s what has been on my mind ever since I arrived in Santa Monica for my two week vacation I get off from work. The beaches in Santa Monica were filled with Bay Watch wannabes with their perfect, tanned, physically fit bodies.

As I passed by a surf board store window, I caught a glance of my reflection, and all I could think of was how I’d wished I hadn’t made the mistake of window shopping in front of a surf board store whose windows reflected like a mirror. When I saw my reflection, I knew I had to take action. I looked like I was carrying a fanny pack around my stomach, with a bowling ball inside, and one on my butt as well. That didn’t seem to help my on-going low self-esteem.

When I returned home from my vacation, I knew all I could ever be was just plain Ernistine. I was far from the glamorous babes one dreams about, and my spirit plunged to an all-time low, especially since the holiday season was approaching. I spent the next few weeks feeling sorry for myself and my appetite soared since eating was the only activity I engaged in. “Where, oh where, was my will power?”

One night while I was in one of my more depressed states of mind, I sat on the windowsill just staring at the stars above. Just then, I noticed a falling star, which reminded me of a poem I had learned as a child. “Oh wishing star, oh guiding star, come and make my wish come true. Make me slim and make me trim, razamataz and poo poo pee doo.” “Well, that oughta bring him,” I laughed quietly as I locked up for the night. “Any time now, my guiding star will come knocking at my door.”

“And if you don’t find him at the door, you might try the window,” a voice out of nowhere came.

Startled, I glanced over at the window. After seeing what was peering in at me from outside, I was no longer startled; I was completely frozen in my steps!  A falling star had landed just outside of the dining room window. It was looking in, and it had two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, which it proceeded to use.

“Let me introduce myself. I’m Charlie, your guiding star.”

“What?, a guiding star? I must be dreaming!” I thought.

“You summoned me when you made your wish.”

“My wish … ?”   This was starting to sound too good to be true.  “You’re going to grant me a wish?  Oh boy!  Can you make me slim and beautiful?” I asked with anticipation.

“That can be done, but there is a catch,” answered Charlie. “Beauty doesn’t come from your eyes; it comes from your mind.  The first thing you need to do is to get to know yourself, and when you see yourself as ...”

“But I do know me!", I interrupted. "I have definite goals, not like some people who don’t know which way they’re heading in life. I know who I am.  I know what I want to do.  I know who I want to be.  What I don’t have is will power to keep me from indulging in the wrong things.  I just wish I had will power to help me along the way. Other than that, what else is there for me to know?”

POOF!