They say that if life hands you lemons, make lemonade. We all know that this is easier said than done, yet nothing is truly impossible if we set our minds to something and put in a lot of effort to achieve it.
Cara Brookins ended up in a vioIent marriage. She left her husband, took her kids with her, and started over in a new house since she was a mother of five and understood she had to protect her kids from the toxic environment they were made to live in. How was it accomplished by her? by creating her own construction blueprints and viewing YouTube videos that demonstrated various building skiIIs, such as installing plumbing, running a gas line, laying a foundation, and erecting walls. It sounds amazing, doesn’t it?
Now that she’s thinking about it, she acknowledges that it has been impossible the entire time.
Cara, a computer programmer analyst, came up with the idea to build her family’s new home from the ground up because she couldn’t afford to buy a house big enough for all of her children at the time she started building it in 2007.
Cara described the feeling as being that “if anyone were in our situation, they would do this.” “I know it sounds crazy now, but no one else saw it likе this.”
She borrowed about $150,000 for construction and paid $20,000 for an acre of land.
Her children helped build their 3,500-square-foot home; the eldest was only two years old at the time and the youngest was seventeen.
Since there was no running water on the property, her 11-year-old daughter Jada had to use buckets to carry water from the neighbor’s pond. Her son Drew assisted her in creating the plans. After that, she combined it with concrete bags weighing eighty pounds to create the foundation mortar.
The children would visit the site and assist every day after school. This tenacious mother paid $25 per hour to a part-time firefighter with building experience to complete the most difficult tasks. He was “a step ahead of us in terms of knowledge,” she recalled.
The family finally moved into Inkwell Manor on March 31, 2009, which was named in honor of Cara’s aspiration to become a writer.
“We felt ashamed that the only option available to us was to construct our own shelter,” Cara remarked. “We weren’t particularly proud of it, but it ended up being the best thing I could have done for myself.”
“Anything is possible for you if I, a 110-pound computer programmer, can build a whole house,” she exclaimed.
She continued, stating, “Select one goal and stick to it. Choose a big project you’ve always wanted to do, start small, and take the others who also need to recover with you. That has a great deal of power.
This isn’t it one of the most amazing tales you’ve heard recently?
If this family’s tenacity inspires you as much as it does, please SHARE their amazing tale on Facebook with your loved ones!
From humble beginnings to Hollywood fame: What does the iconic actor look like today?
Earl Holliman’s path to Hollywood is a compelling story of ambition and aspiration. At the age of 14 in 1943, he was resolute in his desire to become a movie star.
Raised in Oil City and Mooringsport, often mistakenly identified as Shreveport, he embarked on his journey to Hollywood through several stops along the way. His adventure began with a trip to visit relatives in Camden, Arkansas, followed by a bus ride to Texarkana, Texas. From there, he hitchhiked to Hollywood.
Having saved some money working as a theater usher and during the night shift at a café near Barksdale Air Force Base, Holliman had also connected with a serviceman who offered a lead on a place to stay. However, this turned out to be in El Monte, California, a significant distance from Hollywood. Looking back, Holliman acknowledges that it was a risky decision, one that wouldn’t be advisable in today’s world.
His initial foray into Hollywood didn’t pan out, prompting him to return home briefly before enlisting in the Navy. Nevertheless, his dream of becoming an actor remained alive. He eventually made his way back to Los Angeles, where he honed his craft at the Pasadena Playhouse and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Holliman’s determination paid off, leading to an impressive film career with notable roles in classics like “Giant” (1956), “Forbidden Planet”, “The Rainmaker”, and “The Sons of Katie Elder”. He also became well-known on television, especially for his work alongside Angie Dickinson in “Police Woman” and with Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward in “The Thorn Birds”.
He fondly reminisces about his early days in Hollywood, particularly his first morning in El Monte, when he wore a short-sleeved silk shirt and dark glasses while walking in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, fantasizing about being mistaken for a star. It was a moment filled with youthful dreams and innocence.
See below how Earl Holliman looks today at 96.
Leave a Reply