Novelist Notions: Writing, Creativity, and Personal Growth

  Introduction Baseball has been America’s pastime for as long as many of us can remember. Many consider it a rite of passage   for a young man to go to a game with his dad, or even his grandfather, as was my case. The advancement of technology has allowed us to watch or listen to whatever team or game we choose from anywhere in the world, but nothing can replace the sights and sounds of the ballpark. From the crack of the bat to the ebbs and flows of crowd emotions, and even the cries of vendors offering hot dogs, peanuts, and the like, no at-home viewing or listening experience can compete with sitting in the ballpark with thousands of other people, some rooting for your team, some not, and taking in the sights and sounds of the game. I’ve been to countless games in my life to this point, but I had no idea when I went to my first game at the age of seven what kind of love I’d have for this great game, or that such a passion would effectively save my life. When pl...

An Aspiring Writer Trying to Rise Above His Circumstances   "You need to be realistic." "What you’re doing is just a hobby." "You need to go to college and get a real job if you want to avoid collecting disability."   These are all things that have gone through my head at one point or another. Did people actually say or think these things? I can’t be sure. More than likely not, but it was very hard as I came of age to not hear these things coming from somewhere, even if it was nowhere. I was diagnosed very early in life with cerebral palsy and told by the first doctor we went to that I would be confined to a wheelchair for my whole life. I would never walk, he said. He was not able to say anything more before my mother walked out of his office without so much as a “Thanks for nothing.” Thirty years later, I don’t think I’ve ever properly thanked her. I’ve always been better with words in written form, so perhaps this is my way to do it.   My Journe...