Voice recording

I spent the first 30 minutes after getting up this morning, recording the first five chapters of The Collective Us on my phone’s voice recorder. I will continue until I have completed the book. When playing some of this back, I was aware of my heavy breathing and a lispy sound as I started reading. However, the intent is not for perfection, rather to have a recorded version for my kids to read, if they decide they are interested. All of my five children suffered from dyslexia to varying degrees, when they were younger. Reading was difficult for them so it is a pastime not taken up by any of them. They can read now, but it is not an easy process. I am incredibly proud of all of them and their achievements in life, despite this childhood setback. Schools are geared up to read; if that is difficult, then school is difficult. But my kids, like I am sure most dyslexic kids, learnt methods to overcome their hardships. They have their own wonderful way of learning which has served them well. I have two who have become builders, one a hairdresser, and two who were shearers, with one now owning his own avocado orchard in conjunction with his father. Daniel of course, passed away. Dyslexia does not equate to a lack of intelligence, only to difficulty in processing the written word.

But there is a sadness for me as well. I would love my kids to read my books; to receive some feedback from within the family, though I have received this from my daughters-in-law. The kids are supportive of my work, they just haven’t read my books. Stephen hasn’t either, well, not my second one, anyway. He started, but has not progressed past chapter seven, I think. Initially, I took that personally but then realised it was my stuff to deal with, though I do believe that some of his resistance to read it is his stuff as well. And I do know that some people are blocked from reading my work. They are not ready at this time. I don’t believe it is a shitty book or bad writing, (I have received wonderful feedback from those who have read it) but I know the content is difficult for some people to get their head around. Initially, I think I was responsible for blocking people; I didn’t want them to read it, to find out about me. This was all connected with my fears of exposing my spiritual beliefs publicly because of all the lives that I had been put to death in because of them. But I am spurred on by the numbers of people who are now open to this kind of thinking. The growth has been huge in the last few years, as has the number of people who have started this kind of writing. Spiritually interested people have a wealth of reading material out there these days. When I was younger there wasn’t much selection. I remember being enthralled with Findhorn and Carlos Castanada’s tales. But there was little else. I just hope that my books will find traction from amongst the thousands now out there. And that those people who will benefit from my words, will find them.