My Merrymorphosis
It’s funny having a name like “Merry” because sometimes I’m not – even when I always am. And it’s the not times that finally made me an author.
You see, when I was six, I imagined a grown-up life writing books for children and teens. I made up tons of stories and won several “creative kid” awards. Before I was out of high school I even had my first sale to Highlights for Children.
But then my journey led down other paths. I can “blame” it on a lot of things. On getting married, on battling infertility, on getting unmarried. On leaving for South America with a backpack. On coming home and getting married again. On finally having babies. On needing to make money, on helping aging parents, on being too busy.
Really, though, it was fear. I just didn’t have the courage to follow my dreams.
Oh, I never stopped writing. My articles appeared in dozens of publications and my eco-column, Earthways, was reprinted internationally. Plus, my digital Earthways Art has been featured in several galleries and calendars. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work as a communications consultant, adjunct college professor and outdoor naturalist. I also had the honor of serving as an elected official in my small town of Belmar, NJ, and I’ve been deeply rewarded by my involvement in arts, environmental and social justice circles.
Yet, I always carried a black hole where my childhood fantasy used to be. So finally – after a lot of inner wrangling – I pointed my compass back to the power of storytelling.
I almost derailed a bunch of times. My mind kept screaming,
“YOU’RE TOO OLD!” “YOU’RE TOO TECH-CHALLENGED!” “YOUR STUFF’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!”
But I navigated these booby traps.
In 2013 I published my first book, Peace Pilgrim: walking her talk against hate, a biographical novel about an amazing New Jersey woman who walked across the country seven times with only the clothes on her back to promote peace.
In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, I finished my travel memoir, Eye Rolls & Awe: A National Parks Road Trip with Teens. It allowed me to journey back in time and relive an incredible family adventure across the American West, to create an informative guide for parents of teens and ‘tweens, and to share the latest research in three areas important to all parents.
I’m also finishing another young adult novel, Mystery Scars, about the secrets that would lead a shining star high schooler to self harm. Like much of my writing, it is creative fiction woven with heavy research on many of today’s weighty issues.
We rarely know the impact of our work. But if my books prompt one young person to tell about sexual abuse instead of attempting suicide, to raise a welcome hand instead of an AK-47, or even just to throw a candy wrapper in the garbage rather than on the ground, then I will be a gratified author.
And along the way, I am able to prove that we are never too old, too outdated or too anything to follow our dreams! I’m embracing my journey – my Merry-morphosis – and I’d love to hear your “morphosis” story!