Who is Hollywood?

As a child, my nickname was Hollywood. Not because I aspired to be an actress or see my name in lights, but simply because when I was supposed to be kicking the soccer ball around the field, I danced around and sang my own songs. One day my coach decorated water bottles for our team. She put "Hollywood" on mine- the name stuck!

I was always the cheerleader, rather than the all-star athlete. I didn't have to actually have the uniform on, but I was always encouraging others to believe in themselves and reach for the stars. But that's when I realized there was more to life than trying to always be the pretty, self confident overachiever. I came to terms with the fact that people are more than they appear to be on the outside. There's something more to them that makes their heart beat, brain tick and enables them to laugh without inhibition. As I grew older and hopefully wiser, I hope to gain wisdom, encourage optimism in others and help people of all ages realize that a life lived without passion, is a life lost. Regardless of who I meet and how they treat me, I always want to realize there's always more going on than they eye can see. There's something more to Hollywood...