The story of how I faced things in my life, not a story about my life.
This book will be released in 2021. It was a finalist in a pitch contest with When Words Count Retreat in Vermont.
Buttered popcorn. The simple pleasure that has consistently offered me solace when hope seemed defeated as armageddon after armageddon threatened the very depth of my soul. Somehow, I survived and eventually thrived. Through personal essay format, with songs as inspiration, I take you on that journey through the harsh experiences that stole my beauty for far too long, and some of the amazing times that returned what had been stolen. My nonlinear structure navigates friendships, family drama, personal encounters, and so much more, attempting to capture the reality that life is most certainly not a clear-cut path.
I initially sought some semblance of “normalcy” before realizing that normal does not actually exist. I grew. I evolved. I recognized some people prevented me from achieving that which I desired most: to build a healthy whole individual. I pursued (and continue to pursue) this from the inside out, which consequently ended relationships. I made purposeful choices to employ techniques that represent me at the core. For instance, I do not use names throughout, which allows the reader to connect with the generalized role. In this, I hope that you witness the cosmic reality of interconnectedness between people, while at the same time I can maintain an attempt at anonymity for many of those discussed as part of my truth and no one else’s.
This is the first book in a series of personal essay style memoirs about one life in the sea of many.