Letters From Young People

Dan
I just wanted to write and tell you that you made a big impact in my life that day at the Texas FFA Convention. I have gone through some really hard times and I never really had any positive things to say about myself. Most of the time I walk around with a smile on my face so that no one will know how much I just want to cry. However, after I listened to your speech it really made me think. Why should I care what other people say about me and why should I care what they think? If I am happy about my own life then that is all that counts. Thank you very much for helping me to realize that. I will no longer let people treat me bad and that will make my life ten times better. Hopefully I can now work up to thinking about myself in a more positive way. Thank you,
K.

I heard you speak at the Texas FFA State Convention in Ft. Worth. I know that you have been told this several times before and I also know that I wont be the last to say this, but you are such an inspiration to me and my fellow FFA members. I was blown away by how much courage and strength I saw in you. Several friends of mine from different areas and I agree that you are one of the best "key notes" speakers that we have heard in a very long time. We are all very honored that you came to share your story, your life, and your wit with us. This convention was my last as an FFA member as I will be graduating this year and you helped to make it the best. After hearing your talk, I sat in my hotel room and thought about the things you said. I was impacted deeply and I will never forget the incredible ways in which you challenged everyone in that convention center. So, thank you...for being you! You have touched lives in many ways! I hope you make a trip out to West Texas someday, and if you do, I will be there!! Thanks again.

Hello Dan, I am currently a student from -----
high school, and our class took a trip to the Texas
FFA State Convention and you gave a speech, to tell
you the truth i dont even remember the name of the
other speaker that spoke, but i remembered yours. I
have heard allot of motivational speakers, but your
speech that you gave has greatly motivated me. You
know when you told your story about how you came down
with polio, well that made me think about my own life
and whats is going on. Because at the moment my
parents are going throught a divorce after 17 years,
my mother is a alcholic with Hepatitus C, and right
now i am fighting with both of my parents attorney's
to le me stay in ------- high school, because if i
leave the high school i am litterly giving up
scholarships if i leave and that mean i resign as a
chapter officer which i worked at soo hard to get. So
what i am saying is that your speech gave me the
support that I need so I don't give up in life and
that i pursue the goals that i have set in life
because if I don't fight with the attorney's then i am
giving up in my dreams because i plan on becoming a
veterniarn and owning my own vet school, and i am not
going to give that dream up until I reach it. I hope
you know that your speech that you gave really ment
allot and is it wasn't for your speech, then i
probally would have quit already, but then I think
about what you have said and that reminds me never to
give up and believe in myself because you have and
look what you have accomplished in life. Most people
might see you as a funny little man that goes around
and tells everybody about your life and what you have
made out of your life, but i see more as an idol less
than a motivational speaker. When you read this can
you send me something back just to let me know that
you got this.Bye.

Sincerley,
--------------------

P.S. By the way every one loved the fish song

Mr. Miller,
I was at the Texas FFA convention this past week and I just have to say that you are the most wonderfully beautiful person I've ever met. You made me laugh, cry, wonder, and smile all at the same time. I can't wait to get your book. I want to be a pilot, too, and I find it absolutely amazing that you have your pilot's license!! I'm having trouble with 400%. (100% each arm and leg) You really inspired me. I loved the Fish Song more than anything else. Do you have a CD?

Thanks,
L.

My name is ----------, and I am one of many that you have touched. I got to hear you speek at the FFA State Convention in Fort Worth last week and I absolutley loved you! I just wanted to tell you that you really made me think alot about what I have and how some people have to work harder at things then others and I should be very greatful for what I have and my life. One thing is for sure I will never let anyone tell me I cant do something or tell me to give up it'll never work, becuase you have shown me that if you put your mind to it and you really want to do it you can. Mr. Miller you are a great person and I feel very honored and privelaged to have heard you speek. I would love to buy your book if it's as funny and interesting as you were in the short time you spoke to us i know i'll love it! Well I just wanted to tell you hello and that you really inspired me and I look at life totally different now!

Hello,
I wanted to write you and tell you how much your speech has
encouraged me. See, I have always wanted to be an FFA officer for my
chapter, and I've run every year since I was a freshman, and I haven't made
it. Well this past year, I was very disappointed. Although I'm good
friends with all of those who did become officers this year, I feel like the
whole thing was a big popularity contest, based on social status, and not on
knowledge and responsibility in the FFA. I've had the attitude that this
year I wasn't going to run for officer again, because I thought It would
make me embarrassed. But after listening to you, and all the things that
you accomplished in your life, just by sticking to what you really wanted, I
realized that it wouldn't be embarrassing at all. So I've made the decision
that this year I am going to run for officer one last time, for my senior
year. After all, those who never try, never get at all, right?!! Besides
that, if I didn't run for officer, I would feel like a dream breaker, for
all those younger peers that may look up to me. I'm sure you know that
there wasn't one person in that audience that day that didn't look up to
you. And if they didn't, then theres really something wrong with them. You
see, I have a dream to be up there on that stage one of these days as a
state officer, I've just never thought it would even be possible, if I
couldn't become a chapter officer. So, thanks to you, I'm going to try one
more time! And hey, if I don't make it, I'm really not losing anything,
because I still have the rest of my life and so many other great
oppurtunities waiting for me out there! I also wanted to tell you I enjoyed
your comedic outlook on life. Thats how it really should be.
Your song was awesome, and so was the picture. All the luck to your
granddaughter! So, once again, I want to thank you for all of your
inspiration, and great advice that can be applied to anyone's life in some
way shape or form. Many thanks,
FFA girl for life!
~*~T.

Hi, you spoke at East Valley High School a few days ago and I think you are by far the neatest person I've ever met. You taught me more in that 45 minutes than anyone has my entire life. I can't even pick one thing I loved. I loved all the stories you told, the fish song, the slideshow, and the pics of your grandsons were very nice :). There pretty good looking. But anyways, your show was awesome, and you were just an awesome person. You truly inspired me to go for all my dreams. And now, because of you, I will reach them.

I am a Junior at Selah High School. When most speakers come to our school, more often than not, they find the speaker to be boring and worthless of their time. While talking to my fellow students, I have heard nothing but wonderful comments about your motivational talk at our school. I was inspired to go after my dreams, and to be a 'dream maker', not a 'dream breaker'. Thank you so much for coming to our school and to help our student body to feel better about themselves.

Good luck, and God Bless,

You spoke at my school today, East Valley High School. What an enjoyable experience! You have a great perspective on everything! My dream now is to make the best out of what I can do, not what I can't. You now have become my dream maker. You taught me so many things in that short period of time you spoke to us. I have talked to many of my friends from school and they all loved your speech. Thank you for teaching me all that you did.

My name is S.. I am a freshman, and I attend East Valley High School. Today you came to our school to help us stop and believe that we can pretty much do anything we want to, if we just "risk and persist," and I believe you. I believe that a dream is never always a dream, but in some point in life, can become a reality and a career. I mean, look at what you did. You never let your physical inability get in the way of going for your dream. You did things that I believe many people in your case would never dare to do, and to me, when a person does that, it doesn't matter of what you or your history has contained, but to know that you can do whatever you want to do, as long as you "risk and persist." We need more people like you in our world. Letting us know that we can dream and we can grab meaning to that dream. You put everything in a positive way, and I appreciate that. I just wanted to say thank you and tell you that you're an awesome dude. And I was wondering, have you ever thought of comedy as a profession??

Note: I do remember well this sad little sixth grade girl (below) and her note she gave me - Dan

Today there is no school. I was sitting at home reading your L.L. and L.L. book for the billionth time, when I noticed on page 91 that January 29^th is your birthday. You probably don’t even remember me. You came to Dundee (Oregon) 2 or 3 years ago. I remember your Lobster song! I was the little girl who wrote you that note… I said that I had a hard time laughing. I was surprised that you didn’t put it aside for another time. You read it immediately! I’ve never been treated that way before. I hope you visit again someday and speak. I would enjoy that.

Meanwhile, I have been Loving Life! I go to a private Christian school. I am in 8^th grade now. I am involved in many sports and plays or dramas

Thank you for playing the small but vital turning point in my life

P.S. I dream of becoming a doctor so I can go to places in the world (somewhere in Africa) where people need doctors.