…
In October 2009, during a time when the American economy took a nosedive and people
were being laid off by thousands and tens of thousands every day, we lost everything, our home, jobs, friends, and ultimately the city we had lived in for so many years.
This opening sentence is the prologue of the book I am writing. The dramatic overture to a part of our life we are not ashamed of -anymore.
I posted all the installments on my blog under the category “Losing it all” because that’s how it all started. I never planned to write a book and how could I? I am not an author, neither am I a writer. I am just a blogger and a storyteller. After the pandemic and the lockdown, during the worldwide inflation, I felt the urge to share our story.
Maybe I needed to get it out of my system. I hoped to give hope to people in similar situations.
Most of my readers and blogging friends asked me to continue writing. Will it be an autobiography? Yes, but it will only cover three years of my life, the rest is not that interesting.
Shit happens! That would have been a great title too. Life throws curveballs we don’t see coming. Life tests us in many ways. I didn’t have a sheltered life, but now looking back I can honestly say I had the most interesting life and it’s far from over.
My roots are in Europe, I live in the US and we are debating where we will retire. I have seen the biggest part of this wonderful planet, more than I ever dreamed of. I have been wealthy and poor. I have worked in leading positions and I have been unemployed. I have translated books from famous authors and articles from journalists, and I have made sausages to survive.
My life is a wonderful gift! A present I couldn’t have wished for because I didn’t know it existed. Looking back there were the usual tears and laughter, the standard ingredients of a life. Lots of love, a bit of heartbreak, the losses and gains we all have to deal with. Sickness and pain, celebrations and wonders.
We all experience the same.
But somehow I feel my life went further and enriched me beyond my wildest dreams.
When we lost it all, we gained the most, we just didn’t see it right away.
As for the end of my book? The Finale. The end of the scene, act, opera where often the entire ensemble gathers for the last musical scene.
Goodness, don’t ask I am still writing, editing, reliving, and smiling.
What a wonderful life it is!
Do you want to take my money for the book now? I am at the front of the line release day!
I would read this book. Your blog posts are well written so I’m sure the book will be too. Good luck with it. xo
Having read some of your ‘losing it all’ posts, I am very pleased to learn that you are turning these experiences into a book. I feel sure many readers will learn much about themselves as well as learning from your experiences how to deal with the tougher aspects of some of the curved balls they are served.
You have the skill and the sensitivity to rewrite your experience for those not so eloquent
You are very kind, Derrick. Thank you. I needed that today 🙂
Don’t hurry it, Bridget! Enjoy those 3 years, and whatever may follow.
It’s not me that is hurrying. My husband can retire in February 2026 and we think we might make him work one year longer 🙂
Does he need to, financially? My advice is always to retire as soon as you can afford to. We none of us know how many days lie ahead, or their quality.
The American retirement system is quite different. If he retires now he gets $200 less than if he would wait for retirement age. If he works 11 months longer than retirement age, he gets $200 more than the original retirement money. So there is a $400 difference. We will decide by the end of this year. I agree with you. Time is nothing we should take for granted.
Good luck with the decision. Wishing you the happiest of retirements, wherever you choose.
I’ve enjoyed every word you’ve written. And I think your story is one that is unique but easily relatable. 🙂
I hope it stays unique, because I wish it on nobody. I do like the idea of being relatable. Good to see you Kymber.
Thank you so much. It was really good to see you today, too. xo
I’m so glad that you did start to write it all down, it made for powerful and interesting reading!
Thank you, Peter.
Great synopsis! Considering your past posts, I do believe your early years were quite interesting. 🙂
Oh, you are very sweet Nancy.
Everyone has a story. Yours bears telling. I keep getting told that I should write a book, but, not there yet. I do love your posts and will give your Losing it All section a look. Happy Monday. Allan
So true. I love reading biographies and not just the ones from the rich and famous. Everyone’s life is a story, we just don’t look at it that way when we judge our own life.
a great many writers are not good story-tellers. Story-tellers are the best authors, the best journalists, the best teachers, and the best conversationalists. They know how to listen because everything someone says can spark another story. Let us know when you publish!
Wow, your first sentence is so true, I never thought about it until now. There is somewhere a large pile of books I never finished reading, because the writers could not keep me entertained with the story and/or their writing.
Listening is a big part of learning, isn’t it?
You bet! When I’m reading some of my action books, they are incredibly good story tellers, but then they take a few pages of details I really don’t need to know to advance the story, and I have to slog through them before I find the story again. It’s like a traffic light that’s too long.
LOL I love the comparison with the traffic light.