We're Back

I have not posted anything for quite some time. I know that is the surest way to lose an audience. I apologize. I have been so concentrated on the book I am writing about Kalisha's first 30 years (in February, 2014, she will be 30) I have pushed everything else aside, unfortunately.
It has been a wonderful and eye-opening experience; this whole publishing thing.
I do have a publisher and the book I thought would be around 20 chapters has grown into a tome of 36 chapters. Don't worry, they are fairly short chapters and full of humor, anecdotes, and hopefully, experiences that parents can relate to. While I don't give advice, I do warn of some things I didn't know until too late and I urge parents/guardians to be aware.
It should be ready by the end of January or beginning of February, 2014. I started talking about writing it 10 years ago, and now 3 months seems like an interminable wait.
In the meantime, we have been continuing to live each day the best way we know how. Kalisha has a new volunteer job at a parochial school, working with the children in a kindergarten class. She is enjoying it. It is only 2 hours on Tuesday. She started at 3 hours, but felt she could not do that, so it was scaled back to 2 hours.
I would have insisted on keeping her at 3, but when the options were weighed, it seemed best to agree to her terms and be happy to go rather than insist on 3 hours and have to threaten consequences every Tuesday when she didn't want to go.
Is that 'giving in?' Maybe. Sometimes, there is a fine line between capitulating to her whims and self-preservation (mine).
I want her to enjoy this experience. Her previous volunteer jobs have not all been successes. Perhaps if she becomes accustomed to the 2 hours every week, she will be ready to increase it to 3. At least that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. LOL
Kalisha has also decided she is not attending church any longer. Oy. I reason with her and tell her I would love it if she did it for me (a little guilt is never a bad thing, in my opinion), but although she tells me on Saturday evening she will go the next morning, she changes her mind in the morning. I don't sweat it;  I just get ready and go by myself.
I had thought of giving consequences in she didn't go, but somehow being punished for not going to God's house didn't seem quite right.
I have no doubts whatsoever about her spirituality or salvation; it is just nice to have her there with me. It is not an early service, she has many, many friends who ask about her and tell her on FB they are missing her, but so far, to no avail. She will decide to go at some point. I think she has reached her teenage years and decided to rebel a little. Okay, I have been here with her 4 siblings. I will go with the flow.
I will post much more often in the future. I never lack for material to write as long as Kalisha is in my life.

Harder Than I Thought

If you are a 'regular' reader of this blog, you probably already know I am in the throes of writing a book about Kalisha's first 30 years. She won't be 30 until February, 2014, but I'm counting it anyway.

I remember each detail with such clarity, it seems it would be a piece of cake to jot it all down and be done with it. Au contraire. At least for me, it hasn't been. I've actually been talking about writing it for the last 10 years, but never made much progress. I guess God thought I needed a few more experiences to write about, so now, I am doing this, in earnest. (Quickly, before God throws in a few more 'experiences.')

I have 3 people who have graciously agreed to read it for me. Not to edit; just to tell me if anyone would be interested in reading it and do they think it would help others?
The goal was, of course, to write material so other parents/guardians of special needs individuals would benefit from the knowledge I have gained; many times by doing it the hard way.

I realize there is so-o-o much more information available now than there was in the early 80s. You would think anything a parent would want to know could be 'Googled' and there wouldn't be a need for a book. Possibly true.  I think about that quite often as I write. I do believe, however, there are some thoughts, ideas, experiences which can only be learned or avoided by listening to someone who has been there. In the end, it will be what it will be. Either a book which can help or just a good read. I will let God decide that one.

I am writing about amazing things, humorous things, scary things and horrible things. I hope to have it done by the end of October. I laugh and cry as I remember some events. Quite often, I have to ask for Kalisha's input. Ex.: "Kalisha, what grade were you in when the girl got mad at you, kicked you and threw your glasses in the trash in the locker room?"  She has the answer immediately and the girl's name, too. (She is now a friend of Kalisha's on FB).

It is also difficult sometimes to pick and choose. No one wants to read about every little occurrence, but some are important to understand what it was like and some are just downright funny. Cut it out? Leave it in? Oy.
Anyway, I am plodding on. I have to hurry or I will be too old to remember what I'm doing or why. AND I won't have enough time to spend all the zillions of dollars I make from this book. Right...I will probably be able to spend it all in one trip to Mc Donald's. LOL

Can I Put It On Paper?

As many of you know, I have been talking about writing a book about Kalisha for at least a year. I took a proposal with me to a Write to Publish writer's conference in Illinois last June. Registration included one free manuscript evaluation.

The professional who did the evaluating of mine made very encouraging comments, suggestions and feedback. I also had the chance to pitch it to a few agents and publishers. Two of the three were willing to look at it, if I sent at least 3 finished chapters with it. I was ecstatic. New York Times best seller list, here I come.

Well, I'm not getting there too quickly. I never sent the sample chapters and I have not written many more chapters. Why? I ask myself that question all the time. It isn't because I am afraid of rejection....you can't call yourself a freelance writer, submit articles to various magazines, etc. and be afraid of rejection. No, that isn't the problem.

I (being the armchair psychoanalyst that I am) believe I am struggling with having to actually put some of the really painful stuff on paper. Maybe I think if I don't write it down, I can forever pretend it didn't happen.

I submitted the same proposal to a publishing house that was having a contest. No cost involved..usually there is a cost to contests. My proposal was selected as a semi-finalist. That meant it could still move up to the finalist category if I sent a revised proposal with 2 sample chapters. I did that last night. The deadline was midnight on April 30th; I beat the deadline by 2 hours. I am such a procrastinator. I like to say I work well under pressure. Sounds good, doesn't it?

The 2 chapters I submitted were easy to write. I looked at the list of all chapter titles I was asked to submit and thought about a couple I will really have a hard time committing to paper. Maybe I feel responsible for procrastinating about becoming Kalisha's legal guardian until it was too late. Maybe I feel I should have been more aggressive trying to get some sort of punishment for the perpetrators. Maybe it is because just replaying the horrendous things she endured brings tears to my eyes and a bitter, bile taste to my mouth.

Kalisha received counseling after being diagnosed with PTSD, but I should have gone for counseling, also. She is at peace with what happened and the fact no one was ever held accountable for it. She even prays they will find Jesus. I'm not there yet. I have just recently stopped praying they go to hell.

I believe God is urging me to finish this book. Hopefully, others will gain some knowledge and can avoid some pain. I will finish it by the end of May. That doesn't guarantee when or if it will be published, but I think putting it all on paper will be a healing, for me at least.