Thank you all so much for such a wonderful response. Clearly a lot of you gave this some serious thought and the results shone with compassion, imagination, gratitude and sacrifice. Though we said you MUST limit your entries to 150 words, very few of you did, so we had to break our own rules and allow everyone who entered to be considered, because they were all so good. Once again, you made it nigh impossible to pick "winners", but someone has to get the prizes so here goes: Winner in the "Stanley" category: Vreni from Basel, Switzerland for the touching choice of her paraplegic friend. Her offer to give this friend 24 hours to express himself of all the thoughts and feelings he had locked up inside was touching indeed. As Vreni pointed out, the flip- side of this trade was that she would have 24 hours to experience what he goes through, giving her a better ability to understand him and his needs. In the "Freaky Friday" category: Kerenza from Devon, England for her choice of her 5 year old cousin, Amy. This was probably the closest to the "Freaky Friday" concept, but also expressed the lost joys and innocence of childhood so well. We could all do with a day back in our childhood, to get in touch with the joys of being alive . In the "Nanny " category: Misty from Wakefield, Massachusetts for her imaginative choice of a child's toy. I liked the unorthodoxy of this choice as well as the fact that a Toy has an experience that is 100% in service to others. Think about it, that must be pretty joyful! In the "Soaps" category: Nelda from Simi Valley,California for the surprising and moving choice of herself as a child, so she could, with the gift of hindsight, fully experience the joy of a day with her Dad. I would feel remiss if I didn't also give honorable mention to and thank the following for their contributions:
Amanda from Cedar Rapids, Iowa for her selfless choice of her sick Grandpa.
Here are the 4 winning entries and the 4 honorable mention entries as well. Thanks again for putting such heart and thoughtfullness into your entries. We really loved reading them and appreciate all of you that took the time to enter! All my best, Charlie Vreni in Basel, Switzerland. I want to change places with one of my serious physically handicapped Teenager whom I drive to school every Day. He can't speak, his Body is shaking and trembling uncontrollable and he has to be sedatet to eat and sleep. But mentally he is totally normal and he realises everything around him but can not communicate with the "normal World". I like him a lot and would like to know how I can understand him better, what he wants to say. Why not change places once with someone who is not as lucky as I am. Imagine: you are totally sane but have no controll over your Body; a nightmare but for many People a everyday Reality. We "healthy" People should appreciate beeing "normal" and accept other People as what they are. Kerenza Evans from Devon, England I would change places with my five-year-old cousin, Amy. She has a limited concept of death, sadness and pain. What hurts can be cured by a sweet or a toy. She can be amazed by a sunset, a rainbow or the first glimpse of snow. No problems, no worries, anything that scares her can be taken away by the knowledge she is protected and loved. Her garden can become the jungle or Artic due to that vivid imagination that only a child has. The slightest thing can make her laugh showing how easily she can be happy. No fears for the future or worries of failure, she takes each day as an exciting adventure. I would love to have this childlike gift again, of being able to appreciate and enjoy everything great about life instead of focusing on the bad, if only for one day! Misty from Wakefield, Massacusetts Switching places for a day would find me a child's favorite toy. Why? Because a favorite toy is one of the most important entities in the lives of a lot of children. I know mine certainly was. Kids take their favorite toy everywhere with them, they become their best friend, their soul mate. A favorite toy has a special place at the dinner table, special clothes to wear, and a special child who loves them. Most importantly, a child's favorite toy becomes their protector and guardian. At night a child makes sure they have their favorite toy with them to fight off the monsters in the closet or the boggie man under the bed. Having their favorite toy beside them helps them to feel safe and secure. What's better than knowing that an innocent child sleeps soundly and peacefully through the night because you're there to comfort and protect them? Nelda from Simi Valley, California If I could change places with anyone for a day, it would be myself and here's why: That probably sounds confusing, but I would love to go back in time and be seventeen again and spend that special day with my dad and truly savor it. We would play a game of table tennis, sending good-humored barbs to each other concerning who the better player was. Then I would love to sit down and eat his specialty, curry chicken. While we dine on this spicy dish he would tell me about his childhood and the way he trudged to school in the snow despite living on a tropical island. Then later over cups of cocoa, he would point up to the night sky and try to convince me again that the constellation Cassiopeia, which is suppose to be a woman on a throne, was named that because the woman was constipated. And you know, now when I look up at night, he was probably right! and our honorable mentions: Amanda from Cedar Rapids, Iowa It would not be "freaky" to trade places with the person I admire, my grandfather, Max. I don't want to trade places with him because he needs to learn a life lesson. It is because I want to repay him. Every day he dies a little more inside because he is not able to do the things he once could. My grandfather has a heart condition. If this were actually possible then I would want him to have the chance to live a youthful life and experience happiness again. I would be content living his hard life if I knew he was finding happiness in my own. I owe him so much for taking me in when my parents couldn't. Giving him a new chance at life seems like a good way to thank him for his generosity and love. Maria from Byrnedale, Pennsylvania If I could change places with anyone for one day, it would be President George W. Bush, and here's why: For starters I wouldn't be on "vacation" in Crawford, Texas, but I would be in Washington D.C. trying to fix some of the problems that the United States is facing...such as the big one--The Economy. Not that the economy is the only problem, but I would try and work on something with my cabinet and try to shape up the United States and get jobs for the unemployed. But I guess I would need more than 1 day, probably another 4 years to get that all smoothed out, so I should look on the other hand, and just enjoy all the vacation days I can get down in Texas doing nothing. Kate from New York, New York If I could be anyone for one day, I would choose to be Lois Lane. Pumping the pavement in her high heeled shoes would teach me to draw upon my own super powers. Who needs tights and a cape when you can have a determined soul and an unparalleled passion for the truth? She lives in a world where the good guy wins and justice prevails. Lois writes from the will of her heart and the passion of her soul. I would live a day where I would be the hero of the Daily Planet. If I could live a day in the life of Lois Lane, I would learn to be less fearful and embrace my dreams of being a writer. I would be supported by the heroes of the Daily Planet, including one special Man in Tights. After all, a world full of heroes has nothing to fear. Ana from Santa Fe, Argentina If i could change places with anyone else it would be with anyone who is willing to live in a new world, a world without wars, any kind of violence or corruption...a world where we can all live in peace with the rights to have a nice life and family without much to worry about. I believe that if we could all just stop and think for a while we would realize that is much more in life than driving brand new cars, living in huge houses and dressing with expensive clothes that doesn´t really make the difference. We need to change our point of view and take the good things that life let us in our way just the way they are and start enjoying more.
This was the contest . . . I just attended the World Premiere of "Freaky Friday" starring Lindsay Lohan, my co-star from "Get A Clue," my friend Rosalind Chao and a tremendously talented cast including Jamie Lee Curtis, Mark Harmon, Harold Gould, Ryan Malgarini and Chad Murray. This is a really terrific movie with a delightful screenplay by Heather Hach and wonderfully directed by Mark Waters. It's about a mother and her 15 year old daughter who, through the magic of identical fortune cookies, wake up and find themselves in each other's bodies. It's very funny and very touching. They learn newfound respect for each other for having "lived" through the other's point of view for a day. So, it got me to thinking:
What could possibly be more fulfilling and joyful than performing to 60,000 people in some stadium on one day, flying off to meet foreign heads of state to discuss practical measures to make the world a better place the next, and back home to play with the wife and kids, with a nice full headed glass of Guinness by your side at the end of the week. Tell me where to sign up!!
So, here is the contest: Choose a person that you would want to change places with and tell me why you would pick this person. Remember, this is NOT specifically about changing places with a celebrity or a famous person. Though you may pick someone that is, we want you to choose ANY person that you would want to change places with. It can be someone that is not still alive. We want to give away a LOT of stuff this time, so there are FOUR categories you can enter and we will pick FOUR winners, one from each category!
Pick the category you want to enter. Pick your first choice and if you are willing to accept a second choice category, put that: All entries must be received by FRIDAY, 3 October, 2003.
This is very important. With so many to read you MUST limit your entries to 150 words or less. This will be strictly adhered to. NO exceptions. Anything over 150 words will be disqualified. It MUST be 150 words or less. If it is over 150 words, no matter how good it is, it will not be eligible for the contest. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Just to make it clear, because several of you have asked, this 150 word limit applies to the entry itself. The part with your name and where you are from, what category you are entering is separate and not counted as part of the 150 words.
To keep it honest and give everyone an equal chance, remember, only one entry per person will be considered and you must include: your first and last name and the city & state or city & country where you live.
The winning entries will be posted on the website.
You MUST have the words Freaky Friday Contest as the subject title of the email or we may not receive it. You MUST pick one of the four categories that you want to enter into and a second choice if you are willing to accept a second choice category. The categories you are entering must be CLEARLY STATED at the beginning of your email.
These are the four categories
Here is what you will win, depending on the category you choose: Soap category: A personally autographed current photo of Charlie and a very old, vintage photo poster 16 inch x 20 inch (40.64 cm x 50.8 cm) from his personal collection from his time on Days Of Our Lives
Click here to see larger image:
Stanley category: Click here to see larger image:
The Nanny category:
Click here to see larger image:
Freaky Friday Premiere: Click here to see larger image:
PLEASE carefully read ALL of the rules and make sure you have followed them BEFORE you send in your entries. You only can enter once. Your entry MUST meet all of the rules. Any entry that does NOT meet the rules properly will be disqualified and will NOT be eligible to win. I look forward to reading your entries! Have fun! ~Charlie
Here are the rules: All entries must be received by FRIDAY, 3 October, 2003.
This is very important. With so many to read you MUST limit your e-mails to 150 words or less. This will be strictly adhered to. NO exceptions. Anything over 150 words will be disqualified. It MUST be 150 words or less. Just to make it clear, because several of you have asked, this 150 word limit applies to the entry itself. The part with your name and where you are from, what categories you are entering are separate and not counted as part of the 150 words. We had a suggestion from Rochelle that an easy way for Freaky Friday contestants to insure their entries contain 150 words or less, is to first create it in MS Word and then use Tools - Word Count menu option which automatically counts the words. Once it is less then 150, they can then just copy their entry into the email. Since I have received several entries that are more than 150 words, I hope this will help you in creating your entries. To keep it honest and give everyone an equal chance, remember, only one entry per person will be considered and you must include: your first and last name and the city & state or city & country where you live.
The winning entry will be posted on the website.
You MUST have the words Freaky Friday Contest as the subject title of the email or we may not receive it. You MUST pick one category to enter into as your first choice and if you are willing to take a second choice, put that too. Decide which free stuff YOU want to have a chance at winning, and enter those categories. Any entry that does NOT meet the rules properly will be disqualified and will NOT be eligible to win.
Have fun! ~Charlie
Any personally identifiable information will be used solely by Shaughnessy Productions. The name and winning entry will be posted to the website. IF you are the winner, at that time you will need to give us a full postal mailing address in order to receive your prize. It cannot be emailed. Entries become the sole property of Shaughnessy Productions.
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