Book Update: Into the Adolescent Years

Section 2 is underway, and a few chapters got split in two.

Section 2 of the book covers my adolescent years, and this is where the story really picks up speed. As I started revising, I noticed a few of my original chapters were trying to hold too much. So I split them in two, giving each story room to breathe.

Here’s how Section 2 is shaping up so far:

• Chapter 8: Owning My Part
• Chapter 9: Use the System to Grow
• Chapter 10: Facing Fears
• Chapter 11: Bouncing Back and Forth Between Households
• Chapter 12: Perpetual Grounding

I’ve also started a running checklist of things to verify before the book goes to print: quotes, song lyrics, names, and dates. I’ve learned that even a single line from a song can need permission to print. Who knew?

A sneak peek from Chapter 10

May 31, 2002. I was thirteen, and it was my school’s day at Kennywood. The air smelled like funnel cake, French fries, and sunscreen. My best friend, her sister, and I rode the Jackrabbit, the Racer, and the Thunderbolt, screaming our heads off.

Where we lived, tucked into the hills of western Pennsylvania, a nice day often brought an afternoon shower. So when the clouds started rolling in behind the biggest coaster in the park, nobody thought much of it.

“They’ll blow over,” someone in our group said, “like they usually do.”

Well, they usually would. (They didn’t this time.)

This chapter is about the fears we inherit from the people who raise us, and how to tell which ones keep us safe and which ones keep us stuck.

A question for you

From Chapter 10’s You Are the Change section:
Is there a fear you picked up from the people who raised you? Has it ever kept you safe? Or has it outlived its usefulness?

Share in the comments if you’d like. Thanks for walking alongside me on this journey!
Aubrey

By the way, here’s a sneak peek at a website revamp I’m also working on – I got some fresh photos done by the amazing Julie Adams! More things in the works!