by Marie Yates
Having a book published was a dream and now that dream has become a reality. Reggie & Me will be available for anyone to read and while I have dreamt about this day for a long
time, I didn’t realise the mix of emotions it would bring.
Dani, the main character, has become someone I have grown very fond of. She’s the sort of person I wish I had known at school or maybe the sort of person I wish I had been at school. She’s strong without being overbearing, she is assertive without being rude and she has the ability to connect with people in a way that enables her to be a true role model.
Alongside the excitement of sharing Dani’s story, there is an element of fear. I wasn’t expecting that! In talking about the book, there are often questions about the parallels between Dani’s story and my own. That’s taking a little bit of getting used to. Thanks to the power of social media, someone that I knew to say ‘hello’ to whilst walking the dogs now feels she ‘knows’ me… I don’t even know her name (although I obviously know her dog’s name).
Dani’s story is not my story. It wouldn’t matter even if it was. Dani focuses on sharing the message of resilience and hope, not a tale of woe about what did or didn’t happen to her. By sharing her story in this way, she offers young (and not so young) people an alternative way of responding to challenges. That’s one of the many reasons I like her. She chooses what she is happy to talk about and really, has too much going on to worry about it too much!
Your story is YOUR story. What you share or do not share is completely up to YOU!
This book, through the eyes of a teenager, explores ways of being an advocate and survivor in a multitude of guises. Through being authentic, true to yourself and setting your own expectations, you can achieve amazing things. Dani has wisdom beyond her years; that comes from experiencing such profound trauma and emerging with a renewed perspective. That’s the message that matters and that is what I hope will provoke discussion. What GOOD things are happening in your life and how are you making today better than your yesterday?
To celebrate the launch of Reggie & Me, the release of the words, I would love to start a catalyst of positivity! Start today. Focus on what you want; what you would like to achieve. Talk about
it and take the steps to make it happen. That is Dani’s legacy.
* * *
Reggie & Me releases on the 31st October, and you can ore-order the paperback version now.
Categories:
0 comments on this article
Leave a comment
