Fragments of an Everywoman's Life

Eileen Ballman

Description

In her groundbreaking first book, author Eileen Ballman proves she herself is an 'Everywoman' in every sense of the word. By drawing on relatable, personal experiences such as childhood, growing pains, education, careers, marriage, parenthood, and gracefully aging, her exploration of the myriad ways women handle life's milestones offers a compelling, evocative, and emotive read. Jesting she is Shakespeare's sister, she quickly draws the reader into her stories and musings as she demonstrates her love of the "human condition"; the bond and friendship which develops between the author and the reader is immediate and gratifying. Her unique hybrid approach to memoir/self-help journaling will change how readers view these genres. Because she seeks the reader's opinion of her own handling of various situations, the reader advances from the sidelines to the forefront. Encouraged to document their personal accounts on the pages provided, readers now find themselves an integral and valuable part of a storyline. As she tackles challenging subjects such as 'How Far Will You Go', 'Loss of Innocence', 'Bouncing Back', and 'Defining Moments', Ms. Ballman reveals her extensive knowledge of the complexity of life's challenges, as well as her authentic compassion for the female role. Characterizing herself as an 'Everywoman', she notes, "Although we may not be prominent, notable figures ourselves, our universally relatable stories certainly are, and this ability to relate creates our impregnable bond."

Informations

• Publié par: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Date de parution: 30 septembre 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781528968676
• Langue: English

Extrait

Fragments of an Everywoman’s Life
Eileen Ballman
Austin Macauley Publishers
2019-09-30
Fragments of an Everywoman’s Life About the Author About the Book Dedication Copyright © Eileen Ballman (2019) When was the last time you listened to the stories of others? Preface My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 1 Character Traits My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 2 Family Bonds My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 3 Loss of Innocence My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 4 Learning to Move On My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 5 Defining Moments My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 6 Looking for Yourself My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 7 “I Get by with a Little Help from My Friends.” My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 8 The Nature of Love My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 9 Success My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 10 How to Let Go My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 11 Heroes and Heroines My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 12 Choice My Thoughts and Reactions My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 13 Never! My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 14 To What Lengths Would You Go? My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 15 Commitment My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 16 Truth My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 17 Beliefs My Thoughts and Reactions Chapter 18 Deportment My Responses and Reactions Chapter 19 Bouncing Back My Responses and Reactions Chapter 20 A Fond Farewell Epilogue Denouement My Responses and Reactions and Denouement
About the Author

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Eileen Ballman was raised in Cheshire, Connecticut. She was the middle child in her large Irish Catholic family of eight. She’s learned about life through her three distinct careers in sales, interior design, and teaching. After joining the military in the mid-seventies, she landed on the West Coast where she got married, raised her children, and lived joyfully for 22 years between Washington and Oregon. She and her family moved to North Carolina in 2000, and after retiring from teaching in 2012, she now resides in St Augustine, Florida, with her husband, Dave. She has two sons, Jake and Josh, and has a host of ‘everywoman’ friends who keep her happy and sane in her beloved beach town.
About the Book
In her groundbreaking first book, author Eileen Ballman proves she herself is an ‘Everywoman’ in every sense of the word. By drawing on relatable, personal experiences such as childhood, growing pains, education, careers, marriage, parenthood, and gracefully aging, her exploration of the myriad ways women handle life’s milestones offers a compelling, evocative, and emotive read. Jesting she is Shakespeare’s sister, she quickly draws the reader into her stories and musings as she demonstrates her love of the “human condition”; the bond and friendship which develops between the author and the reader is immediate and gratifying. Her unique hybrid approach to memoir/self-help journaling will change how readers view these genres. Because she seeks the reader’s opinion of her own handling of various situations, the reader advances from the sidelines to the forefront. Encouraged to document their personal accounts on the pages provided, readers now find themselves an integral and valuable part of a storyline. As she tackles challenging subjects such as ‘How Far Will You Go’, ‘Loss of Innocence’, ‘Bouncing Back’, and ‘Defining Moments’, Ms. Ballman reveals her extensive knowledge of the complexity of life’s challenges, as well as her authentic compassion for the female role. Characterizing herself as an ‘Everywoman’, she notes, “Although we may not be prominent, notable figures ourselves, our universally relatable stories certainly are, and this ability to relate creates our impregnable bond.”
Dedication
This is for every woman; may you find a kindred spirit within these pages.
Copyright © Eileen Ballman (2019)
The right of Eileen Ballman to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781528936361 (Paperback)
ISBN 9781528936378 (Hardback)
ISBN 9781528968676 (ePub e-book)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2019)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ

I would like to honor and give thanks to the generous women who acted as test readers. Their willingness to be truthfully forthright is a testament to their integrity. Their support has meant the world.
Thank you, Andrea DePreter, for your honesty and encouragement and for suggesting I revisit the book’s ending which you felt I had rushed. I had, for it proved difficult to leave you, readers. Thank you, Jackie Siegel, for the relevant and enthusiastic calls and texts. Thank you, most of all for calling me right after you finished the book in order to share stories of your life now that the dam of caution was burst open.
Thanks to Angela Miller, Sandy Caster, Linda Carlson, Roberta Owen, and Barb Feldman for the insightful feedback of the first few chapters. Your frank comments offered eye-opening insights as to the diversity of responses I would receive from readers.
Thank you to my siblings who agreed to let me share a fragment from our childhood.
Thank you to my beloved lifetime friends, my kindred spirits, for your existence has made all the difference.
To my sons, Jake and Josh, who never worried about what I said in this memoir; they simply supported me for having the gumption to follow a dream.
To my husband, Dave, who doesn’t always come across heroic in these musings but is honest enough to admit that it is the truth. His support has been unwavering.
Finally, thank you to all who reach out to every woman and every man through the arts. Whatever the shape this reaching-out takes, be it writing, painting, sculpting, music making, or dancing to name a few, your creative forces round out our complex lives, and you are so appreciated.
When was the last time you listened to the stories of others?
Question put to the sick by a Native American Medicine Man.
Preface
A question to get us started: Do you ever talk to yourself? Well, if so, this just might be our first bonding moment; for I certainly do, and yes, at times it does the trick. At other times, however, it won’t suffice because a fresh perspective is what’s needed. My initial reaction for sound advice is to call upon a friend, yet sometimes I hesitate because I sense that he or she won’t be able to advise me in a particularly unique circumstance. It is at such times that I think of you. Yes, you. No, you are not an imaginary friend; you are much more than that, but because we can’t meet face to face, I have to content myself by reaching out to you through other avenues; in this case, through print. The fact of the matter is that I had begun reaching out to you years ago, but questioning receptivity, I’ve found myself delaying what I have now come to understand was inevitable. Naturally, I have asked myself what it is exactly that I am offering you in this relationship; why should you invest time getting to know me. How will I entice you to read fragments of a virtually unknown woman’s life, for what on earth makes me believe you will gain something of significance and willingly write me back? Well, here is what I hope; I hope that this manner of epistolary discourse will prove useful for us all. First and foremost, I hope you will find some of the fragments of my life relatable, and as you read, your ability to relate will become a connection, a bond between us, and you will then feel the urge to write me back. The fact that we may not know each other extrinsically won’t matter because we will find we are connected intrinsically. As fortunate as I am having the best of friends in times of crisis as well as celebration, it is those other times I am referring to where you dear reader come in. I sense you out there somewhere in the universe, existing who knows where but endeavoring to successfully navigate your own lives. This certainty of your existence has allowed me to move forward at times, in fact, for me your incontrovertible existence has proven downright essential in good as well as hard times.
We need clarity in order for this unique relationship to work for us, so let’s establish how the epistolary style works. Epistolary writing dates back to the 13 th century as a form of literature whereupon the story develops through written correspondence. I will share something of significance from my life and ask that you respond with whatever reaction befits you, and this will become our story line. In a sense, we will be pen pals.
My perception of the world is that very few of us want to feel alone or misunderstood, so if I have piqued your curiosity, then together we will develop a conversation sharing important events from our lives. I do hope to offer you something significant as it is my tendency to gravitate toward powerful ideas, and my sense is that you do too. While reading memoirs such as Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, The Glass Castle by Jeanette Wells, and Wild by Sheryl Strayed, I know I experienced a very profound connection with the authors. Although their circumstances were unique and personal, I was able to relate to so much of what they shared, and this ‘conversation’ I began with them, enabled me to resolve some decisions with which I had been grappling. Their revelations had verified that I wasn’t alone in regards to the way I felt at certain times; unbeknownst to them, these authors turned out to be kind