Alice and I read John Agee’s delightful story, “It’s Only Stanley.” Written in rhyme so good you don’t realize it IS rhyme until you are a couple of pages in, this book is a delight to read. And while the story itself is wonderful all on its own, the illustrations tell a separate but equally funny story themselves. Alice particularly liked seeing what would happen to the cat next. And Stanley may just be Gromit’s (of Wallace and Gromit fame) cousin. A giant “Cheese!” smile from Alice.
The summer of 2012 ripped me open like the plow rips open the earth. The death of my father and the near death and subsequent incarceration of my son tore through me, digging up long buried rot and fear. For awhile I lay open and exposed, pounded by storms, barren and dark.
Into this dark, cold place monsters crawled. Anxiety. Depression. Panic. Insomnia. Everything they touched turned to shit. Tons of shit.
But that summer also brought into existence a new sun, bright and warm. The birth of my first grandchild. Her smile chased away the fear, lit up the darkness and warmed my soul.
And in that warmth I found the strength to go talk to a very wise woman. A woman who gave me seeds of light and love. Seeds that took hold and sprouted. Grew. Flourished.
My garden needed all of these components to come into being. Fresh soil, fertilizer, sun and seeds. My crop? Stories. Many stories. After dreaming for most of my life about being a writer, I am finally making that dream come true.
I may have waited until my Autumn years to begin writing, but Autumn is harvest time. And this harvest is going to be a bumper one!
Anyone else out there who needed a swift kick in rear to get started writing? I’d love to hear your story!
Love, Chris
Chris M. Regier 