The
title of Thomas Wolfe’s book, You Can’t Go Home Again, rings true in so many ways.
But
it wasn’t true for me this week thanks to the hospitality of Patti Joiner at
Troup’s Gifts as she hosted a Meet the Author event in her shop. I did go home
again and found so many friends and family there to greet me. Just a joy in
every way.
I
grew up in the foothills of the hazy Blue Ridge Mountains.
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| Currahee Mountain |
Writing
started at an early age, but it was my senior year in high school before I summoned the courage to share any of my personal writing.
The
person to whom I showed a few poems was my high school English
teacher, Connie Harding.
 |
Wasn't she beautiful? Still have one of the poems I showed her. Yes, it was written on a typewriter. |
Somehow,
with her, I felt safe to let out the teenage angst that stirred inside me.
Her
response?
She
legitimized the emotional struggles I’d expressed through my work and
encouraged me to press on with my writing. I can still feel the shock I experienced
that a teacher would respond in that way. It made me think that maybe I should
continue to write.
And
I did, keeping journals and writing songs at first, and then in 2000, I wrote a
devotional book. Many more devotions and articles followed.
In
2006, when it came time to get a response for my first novel manuscript, I
turned to her. When I wrote another, she again looked at it. That second
manuscript was Give My Love to the Chestnut Trees published last year.
I
haven’t actually seen Connie Harding for decades. Yesterday, I had the privilege
of giving her a hug.
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| Connie Harding, she's still just as beautiful as ever! |
I’m
grateful for an educator who early in her own career gave me something to
reach for. And I’m sure her encouragement has also motivated many others to
press into their gifts.
I’ve wondered if her response had been different back all those years ago, whether I would have continued to dream about being a writer. It’s entirely possible I might have pulled back into my shell permanently. But, her words not only left my dream intact, but propelled it forward.
It's certainly a lesson to me when I'm teaching writing classes and encounter young writers just starting out.
I’ve wondered if her response had been different back all those years ago, whether I would have continued to dream about being a writer. It’s entirely possible I might have pulled back into my shell permanently. But, her words not only left my dream intact, but propelled it forward.
It's certainly a lesson to me when I'm teaching writing classes and encounter young writers just starting out.
So,
here’s to her, and others like her who give so selflessly every day and sometimes wonder to what effect.
Connie
Harding helped set the course of my life.
“Every
time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God”
(Philippians 1:3 The Message).
Please go to my new Facebook author page for more pictures of yesterday's Meet the Author Event. And would you also consider Liking it as well. Thanks much.