A little encouragement goes a long way

Back when I started writing my book, Double Trouble on Corned Beef Row, I had the basic concept together and a few chapters finished. However, I was unsure of the caliber of my writing. I asked my cousin, Betty, to give me an opinion of what I had done to that point. The response I got back was more than what I had anticipated by a good margin. She said I should start looking for a publisher, and that it was very good. It was her response and encouragement that set me to working earnestly to complete it. I had gained a reputation in my family as one who starts a project but never finishes it. That included home renovations, hobbies, and other things. When my wife lost her job, I had to try to come up with a way of making money. Writing the book and turning it into a moneymaker was one possible avenue.
I sent Betty subsequent chapters for awhile and she made some suggestions that I took into consideration. When I finished writing it, I sent her the manuscript on a cdrom to hold for me for copyright validation which she, and husband Al, did for me. A gesture I greatly appreciated, to be sure. When the book was finally published, I signed one of the five original proofs and sent it to her. A few weeks later, I emailed her and asked what she thought of the finished product. Once again, her response was glowingly positive. She also told me she was proud of me. That in itself made the whole thing worthwhile. Thank you, Betty Lou, thank you!

A Tribute to My Mother

My mother, Rena May Battee, hadn't turned 19 when I was born, and the early memories I have of her were ones of a woman who was loving and gentle, but, also, no-nonsense. In a way, she was like an older sister. She and my Dad were young enough to still do things like sledding and roller skating, amusement parks, swimming and playing miniature golf. Mom was strong, too. Not just physically, but emotionally. She didn't fall apart in a crisis. She could do a man's work, if she had to, and that happened often when Dad came home from WWII. They bought a little house in Baltimore that took lots of "fixing up," as they used to say. She had to go to work to help support our growing family. My second sister was born after we moved in there, and Dad's earnings were not enough to feed, clothe and educate in a parochial school three kids.
Above all other attributes, Mom was loving. Her children knew she cared deeply about them and knew she would fight for them, if necessary. I remember one time a grouchy neighbor started hollering at us kids for getting a ball out of her yard by climbing the fence. When she came out of the yard wielding a broom, my mother, like a mama lion, came out and went nose-to-nose with her to straighten her out. She encouraged, nursed, worked to support ,protected and suffered for us.
The greatest blessing I could wish for every child would be that they should have a mother like mine. The jails would be empty and they would all grow to be responsible, caring people.

Make your own luck

I sent an email to a friend on FaceBook who commented on the fact that I had written a book. She said she had several books floating around in her head, and, I got the impression, she was not seriously considering doing anything about it. I told her she needed to write down what was in her head if she is serious about it. I tried to get the point across that I was serious about writing, and had taken nearly two years to do my own little book. I sent her a copy of the synopsis I sent to the literary agent I was trying to get to market my book to publishers. It is not the Great American Novel or an epic like "War and Peace." It is only a little book about Jewish twins separated at birth whose lives took drastically different paths. Its title says a lot about the contents: Double Trouble on Corned Beef Row.
Right now, it is in the hands of a publisher who is reviewing it. I won't know for a couple of weeks if it will pass into print or not, but the point is that I did it. I didn't let it remain just an idea. I put it down in writing. I wrote, and I re-wrote until it was what it is. Finished. An entity held in electronic files, but nevertheless, an entity. It may or may not ever go further than that, but I am glad to say that the satisfaction of finishing the project is its own reward. If there are any aspiring writers out there in blog land, go to it and do it. Make your dream come true. If nothing else, you can enjoy the journey. To paraphrase the old saying, "A book of 1000 pages begins with the first word." Don't wait until you are 70, like me, to start.