Chasing the Light - autiobiography
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Chasing The Light Living With Blindness My Autobiography + a collection of short stories
MY BOOK is a collection of short stories - fact and fiction - based on my life's experiences and observations as a person diagnosed with the eye disease, Retinitus Pigmentosa at the age of 15. My story begins around the age of 12, the initial loss of vision - growing up with visual limitations - difficult school years - the death of my mother and experiencing grief at 17 - being treated for my eye condition by an unorthodox method of bee sting treatment in UK - marriage + parenting at the young age of 20 as a vision impaired mother - my children's childhood years - tracing my years through 30's-40's of stepping out in acceptance of my vision loss - studying aromatherapy/massage - divorce + independence - setting up my own business - running a home for myself + 4 children - new member to our family,my guide dog Nev - songwriting and composing a musical - blind dates + new male relationships - new sense of self - family support -computer training + technology for the blind - travels - teaching music to children in schools and leading choirs - coping in an unpredictable sighted world - my short stories - and much more! The book is divided into two parts: Part one - My Autobiography, Part Two - Short Stories
Introduction from the book The thought of how to start writing my story was a bit like gathering up the pieces of a complex jigsaw puzzle and with a blindfold on, wondering where they would all fit together...where would I begin? Anywhere - just start! But who cares? My internal dialogue would persist... Every now and then I would jot down or tape record the forgotten incidences of my life, the good times - the sad times - the people and events that have shaped and influenced my life which is an on going journey and very slowly, the puzzle did start to take shape, as I cautiously revisited my memories... Several years have gone by and the inner drive to write my story persists and family encouragement continues but life conveniently gets in the way and so, more notes are jotted down and put into diaries that can be hidden in the bottom drawer of my desk, maybe my children will find them one day...but do I want them to find them? Would they understand their mother's manic ramblings? The diaries have stayed well hidden, even through several house moves - until now... NOW I am ready to write and share my story in the hope that these sometimes humourous, sometimes sadly reflective stories, may inspire others and bring insight to what it is like for one living in a darkening world who is constantly Chasing the Light ......
"Our stories are singular, our destiny is shared" Barrack Obama
Part One : My Autobiography LINK EXCERPT ONE - "What can you see?" LINK EXCERPT TWO - "Stung" LINK EXCERPT THREE - "Child's Play" LINK EXCERPT FOUR - "Nev"
Part Two : Short Stories
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