OUR VERY FIRST MONTHLY MEMO

MAY 2003 

Hopefully this will be the first of many monthly memos. I am looking forward to sharing my experience with you. So let’s get started…

For those of you who don’t know, I first wrote my autobiography back in 1985/1986. It all started when I volunteered with the Arthritis Society in Ontario. Or more correctly I should say wanted to volunteer, it was just before my face surgery and they suggested I come back after I was all healed. When I did, they told me they had hired a fellow with grade 12, no arthritis mind you, just grade 12.

Now that I was healed from the surgery, I felt as though they had cut me open again! I went home feeling lousy. For a few moments I felt sorry for myself, thinking, “I’ve been through so much. I don’t need this! Who do they think they are? Hire a guy with grade 12, yah right!” Next I thought, “I’ve been through too (insert curse word here) much! And I’m only 29 years-old! Man I have lived enough for 10 lifetimes.” Then it hit me! I have had, Too Much…For One Lifetime, what a great title for a book. Not one for sitting around idly I began to think about writing my story. Besides giving me something to do, it would also take my mind off things.

Once I figured out where to begin the rest seemed easy. It took me nine months to write my story. It seemed I lived on very little, as tea was my main source of nourishment. Oh, I did eat, a peanut butter sandwich here or there. But who had time to eat? I was writing!

I bought a coffee maker and brewed it full of tea first thing in the morning, then I was all set. I gave chapter after chapter to my Mom to proof read. I would ask what she thought of it, and her reply was sometimes, “I cried through that chapter.” Or more than not, “I laughed my way though that one.” This was a much better response. We had both had enough tears over the years.

After my manuscript was done, I set out to get it published. My quest began at the local library, checking out every book I could find on Canadian Publisher’s that just might be interested in my story. After sending out many query letters, I started to contact all the talk shows I could. None of them were interested.

The rejection letters started coming in, I expected as much, after all, I was used to rejection. Then one day I saw one of Canada’s leading Canadian Publishers on a talk show. He was recalling his childhood years — growing up with asthma. I thought to myself, You think asthma is bad…try arthritis!

So I sat down and wrote to the TV station and asked them to forward my letter, which they kindly did. I don’t recall how much time had passed but I received a response to my letter.

I ripped it open not being able to wait to see what this man had to say. I was amazed and delighted when I read, “….You should have learned that you can’t believe everything you see on television but,” and this is the part I liked, “send me your manuscript.” I was ecstatic to say the least. He promised to read it personally and give me an honest evaluation, which he also did.

His letter said he had read my manuscript over the weekend (which happened to be a long weekend) and was tremendously moved by it. This was good, but the rest wasn’t as promising. Although he praised the story saying among other things, and I quote “It is a moving, heart-warming story that restores one’s faith in what goes on in this world. For that reason I would like to see the story told.”

He continued by saying the story had strength but the telling of it didn’t, but he added that I had “done a damn good job telling your own story…”

So where did this leave us? I can’t say nowhere because I learned much over the next several months that we corresponded.

This very busy man took the time to send my manuscript to Reader’s Digest in hopes they could cut it down and use it as a feature story. To make a very long story short, they didn’t and my manuscript was returned to me with a note from my new friend saying in part, “I am sorry. I thought we could do something useful here but it does not seem to be in the cards.”

That’s right, it wasn’t in the cards then but it certainly is now!

I have tried everything I could to reach this man in hopes that I could now use some of his quotes, but I failed. That doesn’t lessen what he told me many years ago. I will always be grateful for the time he took out of his busy life for me. I hope he is enjoying his retirement! J

As for me? I am far from retirement. I had no idea what was involved in getting a book published, never mind doing the promotion for it afterwards, but I'm learning. It is this journey I wish to share with you, my readers. If you learn anything from my experiences then I have reached my goal, and I also hope we can share a laugh or two along the way because at times, this journey certainly has had its moments.

Here we go….

Let’s start in early 2000, when I had to give up something I loved doing because the arthritis was rearing its ugly head again. I won’t share all the details of that because it will be in Book Two of my autobiography, and I don’t want to spoil it for you. And besides, that isn’t our main focus here.

It seemed the only thing I could do that didn’t cause me great pain and discomfort, was reading. I would put my feet up, place a large cushion on my lap, prop my book on it and find myself lost in the story in no time at all.

I was going through almost as many books as my Mom. (She has always been an avid reader) We soon joined a book club and started our own library of books we enjoyed.

After several months I began to feel as though I wasn’t accomplishing anything. I have never been one to just sit around and do nothing. But I was accomplishing something -- I was learning how to write!

When my publisher friend said the telling of my story didn’t have strength, now, many years later, I had to agree. I got out my copy of the manuscript and saw that it was only an outline of the story, it needed to be filled in -- polished. Mom and I had often talked about how we ended up moving across the country a number of years earlier.

I decided it might be fun to write down that story, if nothing else, for ourselves. As I wrote I could see I was a much better writer than I had been in 1985. Getting further into the story I began to think I should update my biography. Years before I had one copy bound with a hard cover, then had it sealed to protect it, now I opened it and began re-writing it.

I liked what was taking shape but I still had a long way to go. As most everything in my life that is important, things have a way of falling into place when it is meant to be, and this, was no different. I can trace the start of this “falling into place” from Spring 2001, The Guess Who were going to be playing Kelowna for the second time in as many years. I have been a huge fan of Burton Cummings and The Guess Who for more years than I can remember.

I have had a mirror with Burton’s silhouette painted on it for many years, so I contacted a local paper to see if they could be any help in getting Mr. Cummings to autograph it for me. They did a story about the mirror and me, then a friend of mine and I took the article down to the venue where they’d be playing. We left it with a security guard who promised to give it to Mr. Cummings, again, long story short. He signed the article and that was it.

However, from this I discovered that there are web sites for fans of the group, so I joined one. After posting for a few months and meeting many people, some stood out from the rest. Mind you they all seemed very nice, but some I just clicked with more than others.

One such person is a fellow named Randy who lives in Alberta, Canada. We started to e-mail back and forth off list, as we say. We talked about what each of us do. I told him I was writing my autobiography, one thing lead to another and he sent me a story he had written and I sent him part of my book.

I was a little shocked one day when he told me, he had taken it to church with him. “I hope no one saw me reading it during the service,” he said. I was flabbergasted that he would take it to church saying he couldn’t put it down. This only served to encourage me to keep going.

Another person who encouraged me was an author, whom I just love. I thought it was great that she had her web site address in her books. I e-mailed her to tell her how much I enjoyed her books and again, one thing lead to another.

Being a little naive of just how busy writers are, I asked her if I could send her a sample of my writing. She very kindly said yes but she didn’t know when she could get to it. Shortly after sending it off she replied saying that I had good interaction between my characters and she could see the possibly for the healing of others in my story! That was all I needed to hear. Now I was writing like a fiend.

During late summer Randy asked me if I had sent any of my work to Ed, another Whooligan, (from The Guess Who board) I told him I had not, as I didn’t know him very well. I was also concerned my manuscript would be shared. Randy assured me that would not happen and asked if he could send it to Ed. I told him, “Yes.”

Shortly after that, I received an e-mail from Ed asking me some questions. I answered them honestly and when he replied, “Based on your answers, I will gladly help you as much as I can” I was again flabbergasted. Little did I know that was just the beginning!

Several people, who for the most part, didn’t know me from a hole in the ground, had encouraged me. And, I had an editor from Palm Springs, CA. no less! I have learned more about writing from Ed than I ever thought possible. His patience and gentleness are truly wondrous.

Fast forward to September 2002, I finished writing my autobiography and now the rest was up to Ed. Having a full time job and a life, kept him busy enough but he always found time to work on editing my story. But now, I was free and could relax for awhile. Oh sure, relax!

It wasn’t long and I found, I had to keep writing -- I didn’t want to stop. But what was I going to write now?

The answer to that will be in Part Two of this month’s memo. Being this is our first memo, there is much to cover. Too Much, in fact, I will get right to writing Part Two and hopefully it will be posted here by the middle of May.

Until then, be well. J