My Belfast was not the capital of Ireland but a small, bustling community perched near the spur of a Missouri Pacific Railroad track in Grant County, Arkansas. We were poor; everybody was poor! People moved in and out often here. Timber work and farming offered subsistence. Mental illness was poorly addressed. School included the basic 3 R's: Reading, Writing, and 'Rithmetic. Belfast impacted my desire as a young girl to rise above my circumstances, and yet stay grounded in things that matter. My need to know and grow was insatiable. Every person and every event that happened formed an integral part of who I am. I want my audience to meet the people that I knew and love them as I have learned to do.