Writing, Reading and Voting
For most of my adult life, once people have heard me talk about my experiences growing up, many would suggest I write a book. From friends and acquaintances to my teachers, therapists, and employers, “You should write a book,” has been recommended more than once. I would laugh at the notion. I could barely write a letter!
It just seemed too daunting a task. Yet, all around me, people I knew were doing just that – writing tome after tome. I have one friend who has written five! She has covered personal topics such as finding her birth mother. She wrote a book about staying active after reaching “a certain age” and she has most recently penned a paperback that teaches “52 Ways to Be Happy” (available on Amazon)!
There is no lack of neighbors with the fortitude to publish their work. One merely needs to venture into our local bookstores to find volumes of homegrown works-- from poetry to women of the Old West and a plethora of resources around our local history. I know of one man who writes thrillers but with a female protagonist – an interesting point of view! Most genres and a wide variety of creative voices are expressed in volumes. If you are thinking about writing a story of your own, there are regular writing collectives who meet to share their work as well as their acquired knowledge around the world of publishing. There is so much talent among us!
I am, and have always been, an avid reader. My eldest sister taught me to read before I began kindergarten. I wiled away many hours in my preteen years, scouring row after row of my local library searching for the next captivating tale. When I was a ten, I set a goal of reading every one of the Nancy Drew mysteries over summer break but failed miserably as I just could not read quite as fast as Carolyn Keene could churn out another “whodunit” for the young sleuth to solve.
I am a huge fan of my library, but over the years I have also bought, sold, traded and lost countless books. Currently, my stance is that I do not own too many books, but rather own too few bookshelves. My dream house will come with a room that features floor to ceiling racks, bursting with manuscripts of every genre and topic.
For me, letting go of books is like saying goodbye to friends. I know one day I will revisit some of my favorites, so I hang onto them. The beauty of a good story is that it is timeless. I could almost open my own bookstore with full sections on self-help, cookbooks, dieting books, fiction, nonfiction, biography, historical fiction, even textbooks take up space, though I can assure you I will never crack the binding on “Introduction to Calculus”. I just like the feeling of being surrounded by so many ideas, dreams, theories and practical information.
A few years ago, after several false starts, I finally came up with an idea for a book I thought I could complete. I had hit a milestone birthday and stood in front of the mirror taking a self-assessment. The changes in my physique could not be denied. The amount of sagging and drooping was almost pitiful, and I thought, “It’s like they aren’t even trying anymore.”
I have been writing a column since 2015 and I have penned hundreds of essays on a variety of subjects but primarily, with a family focus. My thought was to write in a similar tone but with a specific topic – what it is like, as a woman in America, to age.
It took a few years, but I managed to write 26 essays – one for each letter of the alphabet -- with an emphasis on what this aging body is going through; what it has been like to raise a family; what marriage feels like after nearly 25 years and so much more. The result is “They Aren’t Even Trying Anymore: The A’s, B’s and DD’s of Getting Older. It’s “an alphabet of essays about aging.”
Some people I know say I am too young to write about getting old, (they have another 20 years or so on me), but I am writing about my experiences to date. This body, mind, and soul have been through some stuff, and I share it. Countless conversations with friends turned into topics I cover in my book, from overall aging to the mutiny in my body, to my failing memory, poor vision, lack of rest, newfound joy, lost youth, and everything in between. I am hoping you will read it and tell your friends to read it too.
This Sunday, November 3rd, from noon to three o’clock, I am going to be signing copies at Grass Valley Courtyard Suites. You can also find the book by putting my name in the search bar on Amazon.
As I said, I love to read, but the next time I write this column, there is a good chance our world is going to look different. While I would love to hear about your opinion of my book, I also encourage you to spend some time tackling the harder reading on propositions and measures and candidate statements supplied in your voting guide, before casting your ballot next week. This is reading that matters. Your vote counts in what is one of the most important elections of our time. I want to understand who and what I am voting for to make sure my values are expressed as I cast my ballot, not only for the highest office in the land, but also for the local leadership and measures that will undoubtedly impact the community and the state. I encourage you to do the same.
Once you have done the hard reading, turn to something lighter with “They Aren’t Even Trying Anymore” -- it is not going to change the world, but hopefully, it will make yours a little brighter, one letter at a time.
xo, Hollie
