An African Tale

"I can write."  It wasn't a sudden epiphany, but rather an emerging realization. I had the ability to put words on paper in such a way that people understood and enjoyed them.  It didn't take long for a dream to emerge: "I want to write a book someday." I had no idea what the book would be about. It didn't matter. I had talent and I wanted to display it. Dreams don't have to be specific. I wished upon that star and it kept me warm at night.

Then came college, marriage and the baby carriage. The star still twinkled in the dark regions of my mind, but practical realities, parenting, and career screamed for attention. Over the years, many who read my musings in newsletters would comment, “You should write a book” and when they said that, the star would wink at me. Maybe later once I’d learned something about life and gathered enough stories.

In 2002, I moved to Africa. Life became scarily exciting, and the stories mounted. People kept saying, “I hope you’re writing this down. It would make a great book.” I was. Writers write, it’s what we do. We record life in journals just in case . . .

Eventually, I started the process of converting my journals into a book. I wrote the prologue and first chapter and stopped. Several months later I wrote the second and third chapters and stopped again. Years later my book was still mostly a dream.

In 2009, GIST entered my life. While awaiting surgery, I jumped into writing with a vengeance.  Completing my book some day was no longer an option. Writer’s block was a luxury I couldn’t afford. I had to Get-R-Done. I didn’t know how many days I had left. I finally had a deadline. I had to finish the book before GIST finished me. In a strange way, GIST became a blessing. It reminded me how tenuous life really is. It motivated me to write with urgency. It gave me a larger story to tell. My African tale expanded into a medical adventure.

I used the cards God gave me to build discipline into my passion. I buried myself in my book. It was therapeutic.  My cares and worries disappeared inside my pursuit of a dream. By the time surgery rolled around, I had finished the writing.  I edited the manuscript while recovering from two surgeries.

Four years after surgery, I’m still cancer free. My book was published earlier this year.  It’s called The Leap: Living the Life you Dream About and that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m no longer a writer with a pipe dream, I’m living the life of a published author. 

Click here to read more about the book

Now about that second book . . .