A. Sage Inglis, Author
One of the first memoirs I read after watching the movie it was based upon was this one.
Homer was a young boy growing up in a coal town in the ’60s. He met JFK while he was campaigning and went in to experiment in amateur rocketry. The movie “October Sky” was based on the story, but this book is much better than the movie. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.
I’ve found some teens taking an innovative approach to applying pressure for climate action. I wonder how many teens pledging not to have children, and for how long, before it would take to get people in power to notice?
I applaud the upcoming generation, and I hope it helps.
I had very little access to books as a young child. Though I Ioved to read and read well, the books I had access to outside of school or while visiting the library were very limited. I was not exposed to much of what is generally known as literature. I was not read to at home after Grandma died when I was three.
One of the measures by which I can objectively *know* I’m a better parent than the adults around when I was a child is that I seek out lists of classic books by grade and make sure they are around for the kids to choose from. I also find my old favorites, typically ones teachers read to the class or assigned book reports for, and I read them aloud to my children. When we drive on long trips I play them as audiobooks, which is typically preceded by negotiations where the kids and I settle on alternating between one of my choosing and one of theirs.
Today we listened to one by Wilson Rawls, that I had never read. I knew the story and had seen the movie, but I’m really enjoying listening to the real thing.
As a parent that was never raised, my generation is having to learn to re-grow with our children. This requires a great deal of re-invention and re-imagining the home life that will result in less-broken people than we became; less broken than the people we are un-becoming.
Whether you have known and loved me for years or you are just finding me, I welcome you to my ramblings. Thank you for coming.
I can also be found here
Twitter: @ASageInglis
For those that don’t know, I am writing a memoir. I made the decision to write it when I was 8 years old and have even begun the writing process twice. Both attempts ended with the destruction of the computers the drafts were saved on. This time, I am saving it in a cloud, and on several devices. It will be completed.
The story will follow my first 18 years. It will not be easy for some people to read and will be a long and thoughtful process for me as well. Though those closest to me will not be surprised by the story arc, there will be details and pieces that surprise everyone.
Though I am open about my experience of abuse and neglect at the hands of my birth-mother and her sister with anyone who will listen, there are still many details I have yet to share with anyone. There are pieces of my story, details of my response to the events of my past, and aspects of the healing process that I have kept away. I have been waiting for this project. I plan to pour those things into my memoir with the intent of inspiring those who are seeking to heal themselves.
For accountability’s sake, I want to share that my goal is to continue to work steadily towards completion. I hope to have a first draft completed by my birthday in December. From there I fully intend to seek a traditional publishing contract until I am successful. I expect I will continue to revise, revision and review endlessly.
I have completed a prologue and 3 chapters so far. It’s getting real. I hope you’ll follow along with me on my journey as I work through the process of finally completing this project. I have carried it in my heart for 30 years. It is now time to bring it forth.
Because I have this website, I will share useful resources and other helpful material I have found and collected. I am an avid reader of memoirs and will review my favorites as well.
Thank you for reading, and Welcome!
So much of my growth and healing has been part of the process of learning about myself.
As a child, my life and choices were controlled. Fear and circumstance were used to keep me from wearing clothes that fit, from feeling safe or secure anywhere, and from making even the simplest decisions for myself. When I was able to leave and control my environment, I was ill-suited to make good decisions. I remember watching a movie in a theater and someone in the film asked “how do you like your eggs?”
It was an epiphany moment for me because I could not answer the question. I decided that I needed to learn more about what I liked: food, clothing, hair, and any number of other desires I had never been allowed to choose needed to be something I explored and began making with intention.
I went wild with clothing, cut my hair short (I hated it), and began to cook foods in different ways to determine what I actually liked. As it turns out, poached eggs are my preference, followed by soft boiled.
There are many tools that have helped me to learn about myself and begin to honor who I am and what I want.
For those of us with remembered trauma, the ACES quiz can help you understand your experience and maintain awareness of adverse effects from our experiences. Once you have your score, this article can help you understand the study behind it, and how the results can inform your future. Did you know that people with scores above 4 are more likely to suffer from lung disease? Healthcare providers should know your score and keep an eye on issues that could be affected by your experiences.
The Myers-Briggs personality type identifier first taught me that there are types. The 16 unique combinations of Introvert/Extrovert, Sensing/iNtuiting, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving are guides to teach us about how we take in information, and how we process it. It helps to learn that each of your type letters can be understood as being on a scale: It’s not E or I, but where on that spectrum you primarily function. It’s also important to realize that we are not always functioning at our best. Our inferior functions (the opposite of our primary functioning) helps us understand how we are likely to react in stressful or traumatic situations.
The Five Love Languages quizzes have helped me to understand how I try to show love to others, how I want to receive love, and how others do the same. The results also helped me to understand the disconnect I have experienced in some past relationships that failed, and what characteristics might be more compatible with future partners. There are quizzes you can help your children take, too. Those results gave us all a framework for discussing what we each want and need, and how to best show each other how much we care. I love hugs, but one of my children really prefers words of affirmation to physical touch. This knowledge has helped our family grow in understanding and grace for one another.
The revelation in the movie theater started me on a path of self-discovery I still walk today. I learned to give myself permission to let go of clothing, food, behaviors, and other choices I did not like. I also learned to advocate for myself in situations where I was not getting what I wanted. It was OK to ask a waitress to correct something if I didn’t like what was served. It is actually important to tell others, with words, if they are doing something I don’t like. I have learned to be firm while continuing to display compassion for myself and others through my self-affirming words. I have also learned that it is kinder to be honest, even if it might change outcomes or cause others to have feelings.
“I don’t want to eat this.”
“I don’t like the way I look in this.”
“I want something warmer” “…softer,” “…cleaner.”
These changes have given me the confidence I lacked as a child. These insights have led me to deeper relationships with those I love and helped me to heal some of the trauma I will always carry.
What do you do to learn about yourself? What moments have left you with a new perspective on yourself or others? Comment below and let me know.