Everyone Has a Story—Here’s Mine, Part 2

Last week I started to share my writing journey with you. It’s one that seems to inspire others, as well as myself. What took place in my life confirmed that I was meant to be an author. If you’re an author, you will have your own story, I have no doubt. But, here is the rest of mine. (If you didn’t catch Part 1, you can find it here.)

Back in 2006, the economy was strong, and I was young and determined to find happiness with my employment. I wasn’t looking for a career, I was simply looking for a place where I’d be happy and my mind would be challenged. That year, I left a company I had worked at for seven years because I wanted a change. I ended up working at three different places in three months—and all the moves were my doing!

What can I say? I knew what I wanted and I hadn’t found it yet. Through all of this, my sweet husband supported my decisions. He says he never had any doubt in my abilities. That’s probably a good reason I’ve kept him around so long. (Nineteen years in 2015.) Other elements could have created stress too. We just bought a new car and moved into our first house.

Titles up until the end of 2014.

Anyway, with this third job move, not only did my salary go up significantly from where I had started off, but, more importantly, it was the job that reunited me with writing. That’s right. After thirteen years, oh, and a move across the province, writing was brought back into my life.

It’s here where the Goosebumps start for me. I believe that things happen for a reason. I always have. Well, with all this job hunting, interviewing, and changes, the Universe delivered back to me my purpose in life.

This is how it transpired. Ironically, this job wasn’t to last long. It was a larger company and they were restructuring. This resulted in my department being transferred to their Toronto office. That meant I was going to be out of a job. But it didn’t happen overnight. It carried over at least a month, maybe longer. We all knew it was coming, but didn’t know when. I’m not sure if you’ve ever had to go through this, but it’s not a nice position to be in. For me, it was meant to be. (What’s meant to happen…)

It was during this time that a co-worker emailed me. Now, keep in mind none of us were motivated. We anticipated the proverbial ax chopping us at any time.

Her email said, “Tell me a story.”

I just want to point out here, again, that I hadn’t written anything in about thirteen years. The concept of writing a full-length novel lingered in the back of my mind, but no real thought was given to it.

So how did I respond to her email? Truth is, I don’t even remember questioning why she asked. It seemed as natural as if she asked me how I was doing.

I fired back a few paragraphs that came to me.

She emailed back requesting more.

I provided her more.

We continued this for a while, going back and forth, her requesting more and me obliging. I was having fun with this and she told me I had to finish what I started.

And, there you go. From a series of events, synchronicity, destiny, whatever you want to call it, I was reunited with my love for writing. This book, known to my readers as LIFE SENTENCE, that I had started in email became my first full-length novel.

Since that day when a co-worker asked me, “Tell me a story,” I’ve never looked back.

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