Jem

Jem loved to travel, and she also loved to adopt a different persona in each different place she traveled to. She was good at spinning different backstory webs and making both friends and enemies. Either kind was made intentionally and for a specific purpose.

New York: XL sweaters, perfect ringlets of auburn red hair, black jeans and natural makeup. Her job was freelance photographer which got her into many different locations. She volunteered at the homeless shelters around the city. She made friends in a coffee shop, a book store, with the Broadway performers who worked at popular diners. Her connections were all meaningful and everyone at her regular spots knew her name, then one day... she just disappeared from their lives. People wondered where she went, but no one ever really searched for her. She was just another experience whisked away by the rainy winds on New York.

Nashville: Sunglasses, white t-shirt, blue jeans and soft straight long bright copper red hair. She was a pop up performer, she would sing on street corners or in restaurants. Talent scouts wanted to sign her to create an album but each time they asked, she politely declined. She volunteered at a women's shelter helping get abused women back on their feet and inspiring them to chase their dreams and regain their confidence. Then one day... she just disappeared from their lives. People wondered where she went, but no one ever really searched for her. She was just another street corner singer who didn't make it in Nashville and vanished without a trace.

Los Angeles: Black leather jacket, wavy bright fire red hair, and killer makeup. She was a writer and consultant to stunt coordinators, she worked with refugee kids and lived every day impacting every person she spoke to. Her smile and her confidence got her in places she otherwise wouldn't have gotten and she experienced incredible adventures until one day... she just disappeared from LA. People wondered where she went, but no one ever really searched for her. She was just another beautiful burst of inspiration that had passed by in a flash and was now gone.

She traveled to big cities and little towns, other countries both third world and first, with jobs spanning from librarian to politician. Once she set her sights on a job she wanted for her new self, she worked hard to set up her persona to be exactly where she needed to be to get it. Some places she stayed for years, some for only a few months. Every place she went she made connections and volunteered for some kind of nonprofit, typically for women and children but also sometimes the homeless or sick. She learned a lot about people in all her travels, they believed what they wanted to believe. She was a beautiful kind fierce angel that everyone wanted to know but no one cared to chase. She never dated, and never claimed anyone as a best friend. She had many friends but none close enough to know her secret. She learned through all her years that people don't fight for people aside from themselves. They will always put themselves first, people put their family first, they put their jobs first, even their pets. Which is understandable in the world we live in. People are selfish we all have that tiny voice inside that asks what's in this for me? That's why no one chased after her, but everyone loved her. And she was okay with that, she didn't want them to put her first she just wanted to make a positive impact.

What came Next?

So Jem had a huge repertoire of experiences, in many countries. She wrote about each experience and by the time she was 45 she published a book with a different chapter on each city, country, town, village. How different professions or ways people dress affect how people treat you. How at every volunteer position she held she met the most incredible people with a dark past but a light behind their eyes that truly showed how kindness can rekindle a flame of hope that had long been extinguished. Her book was massive and she actually turned it into more than one book, a different book for each different country. Sales went through the roof and many wondered how it was possible for one person to experience so much. She continued traveling the world until she finally decided to settle down... as President of the United States of America.

Ms. President

She came to the logical conclusion that the best way to continue helping people was to earn a position of power, so as to use that to impact the world. Jem did understand people and how the world works more than many other people. She had been in the military from age 18 to 24. In the past, she'd spent time as a politician and as an activist. Shed seen so many sides of the coin and she knew the people and their needs so well that when she announced her campaign, she instantly had support; not just all around America but also around the world. It also helped that many of these people had all met her in person already, and although none of them had stayed in touch, they all remembered her. So when election time came she had an overwhelming number of votes from all political parties and became Madam President. Jem changed the world long before she even became president. She changed the world because she put others first and didn't care if she was remembered or not. All she wanted to do was help people and meet people from everywhere. Through not seeking the perfect life for herself—dream job, family, settled down, stability—she created the perfect life. A life of selflessness that ended in the USA having the best president it had ever had, one who truly understood its people and the people of the countries she made deals and peace with. Jem had once been a shadow, a ghost to some and an angel to others. She appeared out of nowhere and left the same way. But her life didn't end in mystery, although she would've been perfectly okay with an unmarked grave. It ended in earning the respect of a nation and the world. It ended in making America respected around the world, in helping people realize that the perfect life isn't always what we expect and realize that the American Dream shouldn't be what you get for yourself in life. Instead, it's about how many people's lives you can change, impact and influence through what you do.

Jem

Jem is of course a fictional woman. But her story doesn't have to be. We can change the world, we can impact every life we touch, and we can show love and compassion daily. We can be a Jem to those who meet us, Even if they don't remember your name, I pray they'll remember your smile, your joy, and your kindness. "Be the change you wish to see in the world,"—Mahatma Ghandi. Jem's life ended after an incredible presidency, and though her title was Madam President, she was most definitely a Queen.