Overweight & Underorganized

Who is Linda Fulkerson Anyway?

Doris Day once sang a song about a little girl who asked her mother what would she be like when she grows up. The chorus is the mother’s answer: “Que será, será. Whatever will be, will be. The future’s not ours to see. Que cera, cera.”

Much of my adult life had as much direction as a pinball—bouncing aimlessly from one flipper, bell, and buffer to another. I lived in eleven states, sampled a variety of vocations, wound up in two treatment centers, and lived a life that, in many ways, paralleled that of the Prodigal Son.

When I turned forty, I had that same “What will become of me?” talk with my own mother. Her answer was a little different: “You are the sum of everything you’ve done, good or bad, and you have a responsibility to help others who may be wandering down a similar path. Don’t let those years go to waste.” That conversation led to a deep self-evaluation.

The path of a pinball may seem senseless at first glance, but in reality, every bump and bang contributes to the overall score of the game. Each obstacle has a purpose—no move is wasted. Life is like that. Looking back, I could see meaning in each bump and bang along my own path. Although my path zigged and zagged, I realized I had learned much from each experience.

My time spent in a sewing factory taught me compassion for those who live a mundane experience and to aspire to become more.

My nine-year stint in the USMC taught me discipline and leadership.

During my years spent typesetting and copy-editing at three newspapers, I learned to love the written word. I later made the leap across the desk to the writer’s chair and recently published my first book, The Prodigal Daughter.

As a training manager, I learned that the journey toward any goal is comprised of small, consistent steps.

While dispatching at a trucking company, I mastered multi-tasking.

Bookkeeping taught me the art of organization, a skill I still struggle with!

As office manager at a church, I learned the importance of service, both to others and to God.

Public speaking has taught me that sharing my experiences can instill hope in others.

And as a wife and mother, I have discovered true joy.

The future may not be ours to see, but just as a skilled pinball player uses every barrier to his advantage, converting chaos into strategy, I, too, hope to turn obstacles into opportunities…to transform turmoil into promise…to total the sum of my experience into something worthwhile.

What will become of me? In the end, my success won’t be determined by what riches I have attained, but by how much I have enriched the lives of others…not what becomes of me, but what I have become.

Linda Fulkerson is an author, speaker & consultant who frequently contributes to a number of newspapers and magazines. A self-proclaimed blogaholic, she is the features writer for Central Arkansas Woman, member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, American Christian Fiction Writers, the National Pygmy Goat Association (seriously!), Christian Humor Writers, and has had her picture taken with Dave Barry.

Linda is available for keynotes, seminars, workshops, and retreats. To learn more about her, visit www.lindafulkerson.com.