Preface
‘Life has no limitations; except the ones you make.’ Les Brown
Welcome to my website ‘My Writing Life’. I hope you enjoy reading my book entitled ‘A Life of One’s Own’. This has been developed in response to the many requests I received to read my memoir. A book I had published a week before my 60th birthday. All names and images have been removed purely for the purpose of confidentiality, other than those which you see adding a personal touch to my blog; permission having been gained to use them. If you would be interested in creating your own memoir, please do get in touch. I would love to hear from you.
Retirement in 2023, brought with it an opportunity to explore the more creative side of my inert talents, and despite my imposter syndrome telling me otherwise, I do have a creative side. We all do, it probably just needs nurturing. The first step on my creative journey was to write my memoir. It was no mean feat. It wasn’t the writing so much, as the editing. After all my story was there, ready to be written. It just had to be written well. There would be lots to share, and only time would tell if my memoir would pay justice to the vagaries of family and professional life.
I’m used to writing. With two masters I’ve developed that skill. I’ve also published multiple journal articles, academic blogs, conference proceedings and presented at both national and international conferences. I’ve loved my journey. My life has been enriched by the pride I feel at developing my own style of writing, easily recognised by those who know me.
As I continue to reflect on experiences that have shaped my life, I know I will grow and transform many times throughout my writing and the development of my website. It takes courage to sit down and write; to own your narrative, develop characters and elaborate on stories as they unfold, and yet this is exactly what I did when I wrote my memoir. Some stories slipped between the gaps due to insufficient time, but time is no longer of the essence and as my family continue to delve into their memories, I anticipate new stories will emerge.
I am the expert of my own story; my own life. As we all are. Through my writing I seek to make sense of the chaos that existed then and continues to exist today; different in some ways, similar in others. And through this chaos, I will seek to understand how such lived experiences influenced my life; my behaviour and my actions, then and now.
We learn through reflection and creative dialogue, and in so doing we uncover stories of our personal and professional lives, creating a deeper level of self-awareness and understanding, perhaps even acceptance, as such stories become entwined within those of others.
Past life experiences and those eagerly waiting to enter, frequently create bedlam and hardship, on occasion, a sense of calm, joy and love. We have all experienced this. As I paid close attention to my life, I began to give myself a break. I am only human after all. To enable me to pay justice to my narrative I created time and held space, and unleashed my intention to write, pushing through that crack in the door I had worked so hard to open, and I began to write with confidence, humility and compassion. And as I progressed, I cradled my emotions gently in my arms, as though soothing a fretful child, for the journey I had commenced created a rollercoaster of emotion that only I could control.
No-one is exempt. Even our birth, no matter how eagerly anticipated caused bedlam. As I write my blog, as I delve deeper into the yet unknown, my focus will be right here with you, the reader, in the moment; the here and now. Curiosity may send me on yet another emotional rollercoaster ride; if it does, well so be it. It will not deter my passion for unearthing new stories, stories that may cause sadness, but also joy. I will explore these stories with kindness and compassion. Not every story I tell has a happy ending.
Every journey begins, where you are at that moment in time. It is that first thought you have; that first step you take; that first word you write. As I sought to explore time and space, I realised that every year, every experience, at least those I could remember, all have significance.
In my home office I have several inspirational quotes.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the Life You’ve Imagined.
by Thoreau.
The inimitable – Don’t just fly, soar. I think by Walt Disney.
And my favourite
There is freedom waiting for you on the breezes of the sky. And you ask, “What if I fall” Oh but my darling, what if you fly. By Erin Hansen
This quote in particular reminds me that despite the many challenges in my personal and professional life, I created the freedom I needed to fly, high across the breeze; above the clouds and into a world unknown.
I begin this Preface having just celebrated my 60th birthday. My party was amazing; bringing together friends and family to pay tribute to a life well lived, with hopefully much more to come. It rained all day. In fact, for 2 full days, but it didn’t dampen my spirits; nothing could.
As I write my blog I will do so with and through compassion. I will write with dignity and humility. History has a strong place within family life, I will open up my story and show you how important family life truly is.
Memoir writing creates self-awareness and with self-awareness frequently comes self-knowledge and self-motivation. With this comes self-esteem. I am a writer. Read my story. Hear my story. Feel my story, and above all else, enjoy my story, because in some perhaps very distant way, your story is entwined with mine.
