Exactly ten years ago, I enjoyed one of the greatest weeks of my life as a writer. At my very first book-signing event, held in my hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, during National Tom Sawyer Days, I sold fifty copies of my debut novel, Naked Snow Angels. I also made my debut as a newspaper columnist when my first piece appeared in the pages of the Boone County Journal.
A few months later, a woman approached me at the Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival and asked, “Are you some kind of celebrity or something?” With tremendous effort, I resisted the urge to answer in the affirmative and offer her an autograph right then and there. Clearly, I was destined for a glamourous life of fame and fortune, late-night talk show appearances, and a priceless collection of classic automobiles.
Fast forward to ten years later. In addition to my novel, I’ve compiled most of the 500 or so columns I’ve written into three volumes: Love & Fried Chicken, 686 Words Per Week, and It’s All Chicken & Booze, (available at Amazon.com), bringing my total of (self) published books to four. Yet fame, fortune, Jay Leno, and a car collection that would make Jay Leno green with envy have eluded me.
Clearly, being a writer is not quite as glamourous as I had hoped.
Nevertheless, a writer I am. And as writing is an art form, some might assume that my lack of financial gain would qualify me for the romantic, yet slightly pathetic, title of Starving Artist. Quite the contrary. My inability to thus far strike it rich as a writer has been far outweighed by my ability to maintain a loving marriage to a woman who has both a great earning potential and an exceedingly large amount of patience.
No, I’m not starving. And I suppose I have gained a bit of local notoriety, if not fame. I haven’t appeared on any talk shows, but I have owned a few moderately-priced, moderately rusty, classic cars over the years. Although my life is far from glamourous, I have to admit that I wouldn’t trade it for anyone else’s.
Two weeks after that first book-signing and that first newspaper column, Bethany and I flew to China to adopt our daughter Tiana. We brought our sons Alex and Truman and Bethany’s mother Glee along for the adventure. Having blogged about our journey to China to adopt Truman two years earlier and receiving positive feedback from family and friends, I pitched the idea of writing a family-oriented newspaper column to then-publisher Bruce Wallace that would initially focus on Tiana’s adoption journey and then branch out to other aspects of my life as a stay-at-home dad. Over the years, I have written about all sorts of topics including parenting, marriage, RV misadventures, home-ownership, hotrods, life in Southern Boone County, education, addiction, sports, becoming a grandparent, and yes—politics.
For the last decade, nearly every aspect of my life has been documented and shared with you, the reader, via this column. And what a life it’s been. For ten years, I’ve lived my life as an open book, or an open newspaper as it were, and yet you still haven’t tried to run me out of town with pitchforks and torches, bless you.
Based on your feedback, it seems that you have enjoyed more of what I have written than you have hated. You’ve cared enough to contact Bruce and/or Gene more than a few times when I touched a nerve or when I inspired you. You have thanked me for having the courage to speak my truth and you have scolded me for having the audacity to speak my mind. Please know that I truly do appreciate your taking the time to share how you feel.
I am humbled and honored that you keep turning to Page 4 and reading my column each week. Thank you.
I hope to still be writing this column ten years from now, and I hope you’ll still be reading it each week. I can’t promise that you won’t be offended from time to time, but if the last decade is any indication, I can promise that the adventures of this stay-at-home parent/ grandparent/ husband/ substitute teacher/ public address announcer/ wedding officiant/ cigar box guitar luthier/ classic car buff/ author/ newspaper columnist will continue to be well documented for your amusement/ entertainment/ enlightenment.
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