In high school we had an English teacher who made us read a
book and do a report every six weeks. That’s six books a year. No problem for
me at all since I read six books or more a month. She was of the modern
persuasion that high school students could read whatever they wanted so I read
romance books and did lovely multiple page reports on them. I tried so hard to
make her see and feel the emotions I did when I read the books
And at the bottom of one of my reports she wrote, “Why do
you read this trash?”
It didn’t break my heart for me but for her because that
“trash” had so much to offer. The words in those books brought tears, laughter
and anger. They expanded my world and took me to places a small town girl could
never see in reality. How could she not see that?
The more I read, the more I wanted to be able to put words
on paper like those authors did. In short, I wanted to be a writer!
Years went by. Marriage at a young age. Three children in
less than five years. Lots of moving and shoving my manuscripts into a box to
store because with raising kids, who had time to write?
Then my kids were grown so I got out a notebook, sharpened a
few pencils with good erasers and started writing. Wore out several erasers and
typed the chapters into a word processor at night after I’d written all day. Finally
finished two manuscripts and sent a query letter (complete with return
envelope) to an editor.
She wrote back in big block letters on a piece of company
stationary, “My typewriter is broken. Please send both manuscripts.”
So I printed them at about a page every five minutes, packaged them exactly as I was supposed to, kissed them for good luck and sent
them to her by mail...and waited. A few weeks later I got “the call” that she
wanted to buy both books. That was in 1997!
Eighty one books later, I believe I have an answer for my
English teacher. “I’m so very glad I read that trash because it gave me a love
for telling stories and touching people’s lives, even if only to entertain
them.”
So today I’m wondering what I would be if I wasn’t a writer.
It’s hard to even imagine!
If you had taken a different fork in the road, what would
you be?
I'd be a writer. :)
ReplyDeleteMy dream had always been to be veterinarian. I've been around farm animals most of my life. Horses are my passion right next to reading. Unfortunately I became a mother and married young. I wouldn't give up the way life turned out. I have awesome hubby and two beautiful sons. I may not have became a vet but I still got my horses. So I'm a happy girl.
ReplyDeleteNot sure where I be or what I be doing. I only ever wanted to be a wife and Mom. First one didn't turn out so well, but I ama Mom to a besutiful young woman who I love to the moon and back.
ReplyDeleteI always dreamed of being a band director and going back to Tish taking over the band from Mr. Stoddard when he retired. Unfortunately they "tried" to make me sing in music theory. Decided I wasn't cut out for that!!!
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