::::::::::::: E Street :::::::::::::
Nancy Perry Graham
Editor, AARP THE MAGAZINE
aarpmagazine@aarp.org
Well Versed in Service
One of the most memorable poems I’ve ever
read was written by a 15-year-old girl from
Brooklyn, New York, named Fidencia Solomon.
It’s called “Looking for Change,” a
theme that resonates with many of
us. The story of how Fidencia’s poem
came to be written—and published
in Seventeen magazine 20 years
ago—shows that when you set out to
improve someone’s life, your own life
changes in ways you’d never expect.
I met Fidencia in New York City in
1988, when I was a writer for Fortune
magazine. I wanted to mentor a
student with writing talent, so
I called the city’s Department
of Education. And with that
a remarkable new friend
entered my life.
A hopeless romantic, Fiden-
cia talked a lot about boys. Every
week she’d come to my office, where
we’d work and do fun stuff—I took
her to the Central Park Zoo and the
Museum of Modern Art (she loved
Warhol). And I arranged for a tour
of Seventeen, where a young editor
encouraged Fidencia to submit a
poem. “Write about what you know,”
I told her. That meant romance—but
how to make it fresh? One day as she
was leaving, Fidencia complained
about all the junk in her coat pockets.
“There’s your theme,” I said. “Every-
one can relate to dirty pockets.” I
left it to her to link it to love.
A few months later her
poem appeared in the July
1989 issue of Seventeen.
Shortly after that, For-
tune sent me to Los Ange-
les. Fidencia and her mom
soon visited (first stop: Marilyn
Monroe’s grave). When I moved back
East, we’d meet for lunch. Today we
use e-mail. We had breakfast recently
in Manhattan, at the Tick Tock Diner.
ELBOW GREASE As a volunteer on
AARP’s 2008 annual Day of Service,
Graham bags macaroni at SHARE,
a community food network.
Don’t Miss Our 2009 Member Event!
VIVA LAS VEGAS
It’s no gamble to say there’s
a great time waiting for AARP
members at Vegas@ 50+,
October 22 through 24. Gloria
Estefan, far left, and Faith Hill,
left, are among the many guest
performers. To register, call
800-883-2784 (972-349-7613,
international or local) or visit
aarp.org/events.
The 15-year-old girl has blossomed
into a beautiful 35-year-old woman,
with the same devilish sense of
humor. She studies Russian and
writes short stories. When I asked
Fidencia what she finds most memo-
rable about our time together, she
replied, “That we are still in touch.”
Just a few months ago Fidencia
received an e-mail from a woman
named Lisa who had come across
her poem in an old box, saved since
she was a teenager. Lisa had read the
poem daily, she said. “I remember
thinking that the author of this poem
had expressed everything in my heart
in a simple and brilliant way.” It was
signed, “Found change, and also a
poem that at the time was a lifeline.”
If the idea of helping new friends
intrigues you, check out “The New
Patriotism,” page 40, and createthe
good.org. Both offer lots of fun ways
to lend a hand. And keep in mind
what I learned from Fidencia: that
from kindness comes serendipity—
one of service’s sweetest gifts of all.
