Well, hello there!
It’s been a few weeks since I posted a new
blog. I ask you with complete sincerity
- Where in the world is this summer going? My goodness, it’s flying by, isn’t
it? We’re a whole week past the 4th of July already. And it’s not
that I haven’t been writing. I HAVE!!! I started one thing, then jumped to the
next thing, hopped over to the next thing… YIKES! So many random thoughts, so
little time… my mind can be a busy (a.k.a. scary) place some days.
As many of you know, we also had something
interesting happen here at the Memmel house. I struggled with whether or not I
should blog about it, but in the end I decided what the h*ck! It’s good news,
and our world comes up plenty short on good news most days.
For the last two-thirds of a year or so, I’ve worked
with diligence to get the word out about my book, “Five Fingers, Ten Toes – A
Mother’s Story of Raising a Child Born With a Limb Difference.” http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_20?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=katie+kolberg+memmel&sprefix=katie+kolberg+memmel%2Caps%2C172 Many of you have already read it, and for that I am pleased
and very grateful. But I know, I just KNOW, there are so many more families
living with situations that I believe could benefit from hearing our family’s story.
And so I persist. As a new author I know that if I
don’t speak up on my book’s behalf, then how will people learn about it? How
will they know it exists? Consequently, I’ve contacted an assortment of old
friends and acquaintances from the many avenues of life that my five (count
‘em, five, it’s true!) decades of living have introduced me to. Most of these
people remember me and the fact that I had a child born with one arm, so it’s
not that crazy of a notion. It’s been so much fun to reconnect with many of
them, and to catch up on their own lives and familial happenings.
One dream I had was to be able to get our story on
television. So far in his career, Tony’s
been interviewed a number of times, sharing his own motivations for playing
music and living life; but I also wanted to let people know that a solid, real
book now exists about how things happened for us – our family - not just
present day, but years ago… at the very beginning. That is a story that so many
young moms and dads need to hear when they begin their own journeys of raising
children that possibly face challenges – not just limb differences, but all
challenges. How does all of this feel from a young parent’s perspective? How do
I let people know that they’re not ‘alone out there’… that others have been
there… that I’ve been there too…?
I believe that the internet has helped in this process.
Addresses, phone numbers, e-mail, Facebook – it’s all much more accessible than
ever before. And yet I’m not gonna lie - it’s tough to break through. I tossed
my hat into a multitude of rings, with no tangible way of knowing how many
other interesting and amazing hats were tossed ahead of mine. Still, I have something
to say that I truly believe in - so I keep trying to find people who’ll really listen
to and hear me.
One night before bed I checked my e-mail. Imagine my
excitement when I received word that our local NBC news channel, TMJ4, wanted
to record a news piece for their “Positively Milwaukee” segment. Wonderful!
Exciting! Oh sure, you betchya! ;)
The news anchor, Carole Meekins, and I exchanged
dates and times, arranging our interview day. We established that the filming
would happen at our house. With less than a week to prepare, I would soon be hosting
a TMJ4 news anchor and cameraman in my living room. I had one major question: What
shall I clean first???
But seriously, I tried to keep it all in
perspective. Since I was relatively sure neither of my guests would be checking
my closets for clutter, or my cupboards for cleanliness, I decided to
concentrate on the real deal… What are my
main objectives for this interview? How can I fight my own feelings of
nervousness to get my point across to my community, as well as anyone else this
might reach someday? What should I wear…? ;) (Not really kidding… right
ladies?)
And so I did clean the house – of course I did.
Having a nice, presentable area can create a sense of confidence for me. But I
also did something else. I prayed. I prayed because I realized that none of
this is really about me. It is and it isn’t. Yes, I lived it. Yes, Todd and I
raised two great kids. Yes, we loved and disciplined our parental b*tts off
;) But there is an entire behind-the-scenes
story to tell here… a story of trusting in my Creator; a story of believing
that all things will work together for the good of those who love God; a story
of believing that there’s a larger purpose to what happens to me and those I
love; a larger purpose to ‘’what I have to say’ than simply ‘what I have to
say.’ What does God want me to say?
And so I asked Him. I asked Him to give me a good
experience that day – for wisdom, confidence and ability, calmness and a clean
house, and something nice to wear and … I think you get the picture. In those
few moments of stillness, before the news folk got here, I believe He
encouraged me to spend some time quieting down, to review my book – to re-look at
and refresh myself with what I’d written, what it meant, and the manner in
which I said it. And wouldn’t you know… when Carole and her cameraman (Jim)
showed up, I felt pretty good!? They
were both so nice, kind, easy to chat with. I’d had nothing to fear. After all,
I have the best coach in the universe.
After their visit, Carole Meekins contacted me and
said that there was so much good information they’d like to split the interview
into two sections – two Mondays in a row. One would focus more on Tony, and the
other one more on me. The opportunity
went from one segment to two. Wow, you know? … I’ve included the links here – just in case
you haven’t seen them yet.
Part One – Aired July 1, 2013:
Part Two – Aired July 8, 2013:
At this middle-aged time of my life, I feel like I’ve
learned so many things. If you have a good idea, something that feels inspired,
it probably is. Persist with the idea – no one will know about it unless you
tell them. Be ready. Prepare. And Pray. One way or another, things will turn
out exactly as they should.
Thanks for the opportunity to share my experience
with you all. I hope that this finds each of you actively engaged in some sort
of good or fun summertime experience.
And until I write again… God’s Blessings!
For
more information on Katie Kolberg
Memmel, go to her website: www.katiekolbergmemmel.com
No comments:
Post a Comment