I finally have a theme!!

In helping others you may inadvertently help yourself.

I came to this decision after talking to David H.  He had suggested that I refine the story even more.  It was hard to do this being that it was my own project.  Helping others figure out their thesis is much easier than trying to iron out my own story.

I ran it by Peter K. one of our story guys here at SoFA.  He helped me brainstorm some possible ideas. One of the ideas that we came upon was the idea of switching the story sequence around a bit to give a stronger ending.  But the main theme that came out of that session was the idea that by helping someone else, you can possibly help yourself.

This struck me right away because I was listening to The Rotoscopers Podcast. In podcast #21 they interviewed Don Bluth (Animator at Disney untli 1979 then started his own company). In that interview one of the things that struck me was this quote:

"If you help someone else be happy, you inadvertently make yourself happy."
           - Don Bluth Interview 23:00 http://www.therotoscopers.com/episodes/ episode #21

Also in the Moth Podcast : Jessica Lee Williamson & Don Ray Smith: StorySLAM Favorites, Mrs. Williamson describes how she selfishly tries to help a homeless woman to make herself feel better.  In this case it didn't work out, and because she was not sincerely trying to help the woman, the woman ends up rejecting her help.

In my own personality, I genuinely want to help people.  I get an extreme satisfaction when the help I have given, helps the other person out.

So going forward that is the message that I want my thesis to say to my audience.