A dream dinner party for 8 guests at your home, who’s invited? Let me set this up… You can invite 8 guests of your choice, to your home for dinner – sound fun? Play along and let your imagination loose. You might learn something new about yourself. Your guests must be alive and living today to be invited. No fictional Disney characters or dead poets are invited to this party, save them for your next gathering.

Creating my list was easy until I started thinking about how different each guest is from one another and the possible awkwardness it might present.  I thought about how the guests would converse with each other, and if the evening would have fluidity? And how I could possibly make it interesting for everyone.

I thought about where I would seat each guest with precision. And where I would place myself… So I wouldn’t miss a whisper from a single guest. Who would I sit next to me? (Maybe I could cut a hole in the center of the table and sit where the candles would be???) As silly as it may seem, for a hot moment, the thought did pop up in my head. Moving on!

There are many details to sort out like which tabletop flowers, what plates to use and what to serve. I mean, the dinner is the important thing, after all, it is a gathering for dinner, to eat. All I wanted to think about was the list of questions I had for each guest.

Your list might be all the same kind of people (people who have much in common) or very different interest, like my list. Either way, it’s your party, your list and you get to orchestrate the whole event exactly as you want.

For some of you, the list will require some thought as you struggle to decide who you find most exciting or who has been a life long influence for you. Six on my guest list were easy… While the other two I debated over. Here are the 8 guests invited to my party.

Stephen King, Writer

Nicholas Sparks, Writer

Stevie Nicks, Musician, Fleetwood Mac Band

Stephen Tyler, Musician, Aerosmith

Donald Trump, Entrepreneur

Sarah Palin, Writer & politics

Franklin Graham, Samaritan’s Purse

Beth Moore, Writer & Christian Bible Teacher

Do you find this to be an interesting list or an impossible mix of extreme liberal and conservative people? Could they learn something from each other? Would they?

My reasons are plentiful for each guest. An appetite for inspiration, curiosity and motivation just for starters!

King has inspired my imagination beyond limits, yet I continued to reach for his novels. If I had to pick a favorite writer, he definitely gets my vote. In my opinion, King is the best writer alive today, on the planet. I’ve read almost all his work and have never been disappointed. If you are not a fan of the King’s style of horror, I highly recommend his books on writing, “Top 20 Rules For Writers” and “On Writing and A Memoir of the Craft”. I promise you will learn something useful with takeaway value.

Nicholas Sparks, a North Carolina writer and once the professor at Carolina who has risen to fame with simple love stories like “The Notebook”, “Message in a Bottle”,  “Safe Haven” and dozens more. His books are transformed into blockbuster movies and usually filmed here locally, in North Carolina. A male writer, gifted with a compelling point of view combined with a knack for developing slow unfolding love stories. Sparks brings a unique storytelling style that leaves a large female audience yearning for more. Bestseller list, after bestseller list – seems to happen easy for him.

Stevie Nicks belongs in a class of her own, unlike any other female performer. Stevie performs solo and is the lead singer for the British band, Fleetwood Mac. A self-made megawatt legend, who had a dream, pursued it with  great passion.

Stephen Tyler, a likable musician who rocked stages around the world with the band Aerosmith and continues to perform solo recently breaking into country music. Aerosmith was America’s rock band with mega hits like “Dream on” and  “Walk This Way” that leave jingles forever in our heads. His book “Noise Inside My Head” was surprisingly a good read with a candid, picturesque inside view of life as America’s top rock band. He is soulful, mischievous and bubbling over with the joys of life.

Donald Trump is a famous and outspoken businessman, who is a well branded name that has developed a hugely successful empire. As his rising political popularity soars, so does his charisma, determination and tenacity. Support him or not – he is vivacious, and an interesting personality.

Sarah Palin is a conservative, brave woman. She is a trailblazer in US politics. Anyone who hasn’t heard of Sarah Palin is living under a rock, considering her popularity and fame. I love her Facebook page! Her posts are opinionated, interactive, courageous and brutally honest. Despite her constant criticism Sarah presses through every battle (and there have been many) with great stamina and big patriotism, unmatched by any other female politicians to date. No, she is not perfect, but she is Sarah Palin and she doesn’t have to be. She is real.

Franklin Graham is a Humanitarian and Evangelist, son of America’s Pastor Billy Graham. Franklin founded Samaritans Purse, one of the largest evangelical relief aid organizations in the world, helping over 240 countries in catastrophic events. Often times, Samaritans Purse is the first on the scene to help.The Graham’s family faithfulness and devotion to Jesus Christ have astounded me my entire life. I stand in total awe of this family! I could spend months conversing with Franklin about spiritual topics and humanitarian subjects.

Beth Moore is America’s favorite Bible teacher. She is a brilliant, a witty writer and speaker who can bring the old and new testament scriptures alive with an applicable and simplicity message. A powerful, dynamic Proverbs 31 woman in every way. Beth is an extraordinary role model for millions of women of the Christian faith around the world.

There were a few favorites I had to leave off the guest list, 8 chairs was the limit. I did discover a couple of things about my own list that surprised me. I spent thirty years in the fashion industry and not a single designer made the cut. I love photography, but there was no one I was willing to remove from the 8 selected.

How about you? Who would you invite and why? It never hurts to dream. Do you still believe in miracles?

Happy Trails,
Donna George

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“Day dreaming and night thinking”