The title of this article alone takes me back to when I started graduate school with dreams of fully developing my own grassroots program. It was not Gods’ plan for me to go down that particular path. I can now see how articles like this planted tiny seeds and helped develop me into a research therapist. I know now without a doubt that I didn’t want to start a grassroots organization.

Although I couldn’t articulate it at the time, what I wanted to do was the frontline work. I do not find joy in writing grants, dealing with review boards, or any other political red tape madness. I want to be sitting on the steering committee providing feedback on what’s working and not working on a various study. I prefer to be on the front line following the longitudinal studies, and providing individuals with direct services that encourage them to harness their power and use their brains and shape their best lives. Luckily, I have been blessed to do this work. Looking back, I have no regrets about not starting my own program. After all, shouldn’t we be consolidating?