Editor’s note: The L.A. Watts Times congratulates Miriam Vickers, a winner of the newspaper’s Catch the “Dream” Essay Contest. Vickers has won two tickets to the play “Dreamgirls,” playing at the Ahmanson Theatre through April 4, and dinner for two at The Restaurant at The Standard. The L.A. Watts Times also congratulates Devin O’Neal and Alison L. Hudson, winners who also won tickets and dinner.

All essays were good, but Vickers’ was chosen to be published.

BY MIRIAM VICKERS

Adversity knocks on the door of every individual at one point or another.

It was not until it egregiously knocked on my door that I was able to challenge adversity head on, opting to defeat it. In defeating adversity, the opportunity to catch the dream becomes a living organism. A dream without obstacles is synonymous to a fairy tale. Achievement, in spite of obstacles, is the realization of a dream.

My journey towards catching my dream began in 1996. On Feb. 7, I was shot by my ex-husband at point-blank range in the back. Fourteen years later, the reason why is still inexplicable. Speculation has it that my ex-husband thought that I was having an affair with one of my co-workers. This was as far from the truth as the sun is from the Earth.

The bullet from a .357-caliber Magnum pierced my left lung, which collapsed immediately. My right lung collapsed shortly thereafter. I lay in a surgical intensive care unit for four months with the bleak prognosis that I would probably succumb to death.

Oh, but what a mighty God I serve! The prayers of my mother were answered. I survived.

The aftermath of this horrific event triggered even more obstacles. Dreaming about anything positive turned into a nightmare. I had to learn how to walk again. I harbored suicidal thoughts. I was hospitalized numerous times in psychiatric facilities. I was short of breath most of the time due to reduced lung capacity. My mother died three years after I was shot. I was the victim of police brutality. I went from earning $60,000 a year to being unemployed and homeless. I cried nearly 24 hours a day. My self-esteem was low. I wallowed in self-pity, self-hatred and self-blame.

But the dream to help children, the elderly and the needy — community service — was at the core of my existence. I taught school and volunteered at convalescent homes. My dream grew.

My mother founded a nonprofit organization before her death. In 2004, I revived the nonprofit. As president of operations, I use the nonprofit status to get donations.

Since that time, I have been distributing food, clothes and personal hygiene products to the homeless and needy families in Los Angeles, Compton, Watts, Long Beach and Lancaster. I visit schools and give students incentives to seek academic excellence. Annually, I host a back-to-school and toy giveaway.

Fourteen years after facing such blatant adversity, I am refining the dream that I caught — I am working tirelessly to serve more needy individuals with love and respect. My efforts to serve the needy are not funded.

However, I use my talents writing poetry and performing spoken word to generate income. This income is used to facilitate my dream to serve the needy.

I caught my dream — to help and love someone else in spite of my adversities.