Occasionally I have been asked why and how I actually wrote my book, “My Adventure: An Encounter with Life”. This was of course my first attempt at writing a book. While the idea seemed wonderful, it also seemed so daunting. In the back of my mind I have always thought it would be life-fulfilling to actually write and publish a book. But the excuses were always there: I was a busy lawyer, my kids were growing up and family activities were increasing, deadlines were forever present, and work required constant writing (not so-called “creative writing”) that was as precise and exacting as a lawyer’s good legal document could be. And, of course, there was still the need and desire to exercise, in my case whether swimming, cycling or playing tennis. In short, when was there ever time to creatively think, plan and dedicate time to writing a book?
But my desire was there. I have a lifetime love affair with books. Indeed, I have a comprehensive ever-growing library of my own and that only reflects books I mostly acquired in recent years. Yes, I have seen those estimates that some fanatics have spent maybe $100,000 buying books in the course of a lifetime. I would hate to be audited – surely, it can’t be that high! (Good Lord, is $30,000 likely possible?). I am a bookstore junkie and all travels include finding the great local stores. In my spare time flying, traveling or at home, where better to explore bookstores than in airports or during some free time on a Saturday afternoon? My subjects include history, biography, self-help, architecture, arts, photography, sports, novels…I am exhausted thinking about it. Me, make time to write a book?
Well in my case, my unique illness and time spent recovering made it unexpectedly possible. “My Adventure” came about because everything I had scheduled or expected to encounter in my life actually went on hold. After my seizures and periods comatose, then heavily drugged fighting for my life, things eventually began to settle into a routine. This was probably about 18 months into my quadriplegic existence. In my book I recount how there seemed to be one day when I remember my brain seemed to wake up. I credited it to the reduction (and actual discontinuing) in my use of the heavily steroidal drug, prednisone; the drug that likely saved my life. The drug use made my mind crazy including many wild dreams I recount in my book. I seemed to live these dreams as reality was not part of my day. (Some say prednisone should not be consumed more than maybe two months; I was on it for about 14 months before I was weaned off). I do remember not long after mentally waking up I asked my sister for a book to read.
Once I was mentally functioning again, and because I was now nearly a full quadriplegic, my sister blessed me by getting me a chrome book and a cell phone. My life changed radically even though I was destined to spend a few more years mostly in my bed or wheelchair. I soon became an email and social media hound. For some reason, perhaps due to telling of my dreams and daily encounters in emails to various friends I actually started writing about things going on in my life. I wanted to share my bizarre dreams and what I found interesting being a patient in my condition. So, I wrote. I discovered Google Docs and just started describing my life in separate short entries. My love for writing creatively seemed restored. Unfortunately, my skills as a typist (which were part of my life as a lawyer and all the way back as a college journalist) were not the same. Since I was very much still a quadriplegic, I really could only peck out emails and documents with one finger on my right hand. You might remember from my book that I had some movement in my fingers and toes despite my overall feeling of being quadriplegic. One thing I never really got restored, perhaps because of the size of the keyboard on my phone and my later iPad, was my two-handed multi finger mastery of the full keyboard (that dated back to my high school typing class in 7th grade with Mrs. Palmer at Burris School). Therefore, I pecked, one letter at a time. Yes, it’s true, My Adventure, containing some 90,000 plus words when published was written using one or two fingers to peck out my story. (Although I have full use of my hands and entire body today, I am still primarily a one-finger typist as I write this blog.)
During my time at The Forum (assisted living facility) back in Dallas, beginning in 2016, I developed the idea that because I had written (and saved) so many entries in Google Docs, I had a story to tell. Frankly, as I started enjoying my adventures at The Forum and being back in Dallas, I began to sense a mission. I found myself telling my story so often to so many inquiring people that the idea of finishing a book became important. Often, rather than telling my story ad nauseum to many, I was told I should write a book. Soon that turned into my responding, “yes, in fact, I am writing a book.”
My story was in my face. Circumstances permitted that. Love of creative writing, reading good books and lots of free time due to my long illness made all made possible my book, My Adventure.
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