Epilogue: A Year Later

Adam has so many more stories than he has written in this book. He surpassed his own expectations for himself, and he is proud for this. All of his previous notions about shelters and homeless people were shattered. He says through this experience, he learned that everyone really is "the product of [their] surroundings" (Shepard 212). He also learned that everyone has problems, even the people society deems as lucky. The only way to be truly successful is to look at the good of every situation. In the end, money is only paper and ink. Happiness and success are choices that are made. Anyone can be happy in any situation they are put in. To be successful, people have to be positive and dedicated and must set goals. The greatest thing he learned was that America really is the land of most opportunity. Anyone with any background can achieve success; he just has to have the right attitude. The modern American dream includes financial stability and personal happiness where you already are in life. Successful people, according to Adam Shepard, are those who acknowledge the burdens they have to carry in their lives and not only deal with them but also constantly have smiles on their faces. He suggests a list of steps to take to diminish poverty in American society. They mainly include less costly education and improvements in the government. He knows that poverty will never cease to exist, but he thinks his steps can help decrease the amount and severity of it in America. He challenges his readers to actually do something about poverty. Every little bit helps. Helping children is the most rewarding gift anyone can give. It makes the giver feel good, and it sufficiently affects the child. His hero is Derrik; Derrik got out of poverty because he had the right attitude and he worked hard. He gives the reader the choice to be assertive, passive, or completely confused. The assertive will become successful. He proves that success completely depends on one's attitude.