Things are getting real – my memoir, From Turmoil to Triumph, is coming out next month. It’s actually happening. I’m excited to hold the book in my hands and to share it with readers. Hopefully it can help somebody – that’s my biggest goal. I wrote it specifically to help others.
I never really considered myself a writer before, though I’ve read a ton my whole life, and I’ve written a lot of poetry. The process of writing a memoir – going through my whole life – has been cathartic. I’ve learned a lot about myself in the past two and a half years. It’s made me think of things I wouldn’t normally think of, helping me understand my life and who I am today in a new way. As I reflected on things, I saw in a new way how things started, what led to my actions, and how I got to where I am now.
The process has also been surprising. There are some things I completely forgot about that have come up. And while I was open and told a lot of stuff – not all of it pretty or flattering – I didn’t tell all my stories. I decided to keep some things to myself. But I did relive those stories as I considered whether or not to include them in the book.
Another thing that surprised me was that I wasn’t that bad of a guy. I did some pretty awful things, but even at my worst, I was still doing some good stuff, too. I was a good guy at heart, trying to figure out things. Like a lot of other people, trying to understand who I was and who I wanted to be, who my grandparents would be proud of. It just took me a while to get there.
So now, I’m ready to share the story with an audience. I’m starting tonight, with the open mic at Wussow’s Café in Duluth. It’s my first time ever reading in public. I’m a little nervous, but not that bad. Mainly, I’m excited that maybe my story can help somebody else. That hope makes it worth the risk.