I can’t believe it’s been over six weeks since I’ve posted anything here. No, I haven’t lost the love for writing. Quite the opposite. I’ve actually been working on another book project.
As I closed out my 29th teaching year, I had to decide how to spend my time during summer break. We didn’t have any major vacations planned. Honestly, I needed to downshift from the stress and constant activity of school and divert my attention to other things.
On the last Monday in June, I spent the day puttering around the house and cleaning up. The fact that I did not have to wake up at 5:15 a.m. for the next two months made my heart happy. But I knew that there was just so much puttering around that would fill my heart for two whole months.
I started this blog in 2020 as a space to pen my thoughts, experiences, and lessons learned. One section that grew quickly was The Geriatric Gymnast one. I had been thinking that someday, I’d write a book all about my flippy adventures. On Tuesday July 1, I got the urge to follow through on that thought. I copied all of my gymnastics-related posts and put them into one document. Suddenly, I was looking at almost 350 pages of material. I suppose that’s about book-sized.
Been there, done that
This is a familiar process. I’ve self-published two books on Amazon so far.
How Do We Feel Right Now? A collection of raw thoughts in the aftermath of senseless tragedy. It was created out of empathy for my friends and community in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. I was also looking for a piece to do virtually for our school’s fall play In 2020. It was an extraordinary experience, for sure.
What Ronnie Sue Knew: Recalling a Life of Love and Sparkle. Written for my mom, Ronnie Sue, after she lost her battle to peritoneal cancer in September 2020. In the last week of her life, I interviewed her about her memories. The book weaves our memories together as a tribute to her life and the lessons she taught me. If you read it (please do), you should have some tissues available.
In April 2023, Cases On Arts Entrepreneurship was published. It is an academic textbook. Included was a case study I wrote called “Astrid Von Ussar: a profile in dance innovation and evolution.”
Since these books were published, I’ve been focusing all my writing attention to this blog. It’s the space for me to empty my head and process my life. I’ve dealt with lots of challenge and celebrated the blessings of my life in these posts.
Putting on my author hat once again
There’s a good reason for the posting hiatus.
This is what I’ve been working on since July 1.
In 2025, I decided to devote my summer break once again to being an author. This is the head space that I hope to inhabit once I retire from teaching. I love sitting at the laptop, listening to my brain, and writing it all down. This summer was time to organize all of those thoughts.
In the last six weeks, I have doggedly sculpted and whittled the 350 pages through endless revisions and editing. I’d wake up in the morning, and sometimes spend the entire day at my laptop. I’d rearrange chapters, add pictures, find more concise ways to express every aspect of my gymnastics experience from the beginning. My hips don’t love me, but my brain is happy.
Towards the end of July, the effort went from “fun with editing” to a more serious tone. I wanted to invest more than just my time in this effort. I reached out to my developmental editor, who edited What Ronnie Sue Knew. I sent her the manuscript to preview. She loved it. Now, I’m slated for a full substantive edit in September to prepare it for next steps.
Here’s a little excerpt from the book. It sets the stage for everything I’ve experienced through gymnastics in the last 19 years:
My gymnastics journey started in September 2006 when I took my four-year-old daughter to her first gymnastics class and my youngest daughter was still in a car seat. I sat there with all the other parents, watching. Being a dance teacher and active person, it was killing me, seeing my daughter bouncing on the trampoline, laughing giddily, doing somersaults and attempting cartwheels.
I was so taken by it that I asked the owner, Joe, if he had any designs on offering an adult class, maybe a “mommy and me” experience where the mommies giddily jump and tumble alongside the kids. He said that he was thinking about it and if he got enough names for a full class, he’d let me know. Excited by the prospect of living out my childhood fantasy (and the possibility of shedding some of that stubborn baby weight), I waited patiently.
Finally, in January 2007, my wish came true. At 36, I would be starting gymnastics. Not a mommy and me situation; a full-on, adults-only gymnastics class. Little did I know how this would change my life.
I hope to reach a wide audience for this book. It’s not just for adult gymnasts, although they will certainly see themselves in the pages. Women in their menopause transition will relate big time. People who need a little inspiration and push to jump out of their comfort zone and defy impostor syndrome. Anyone recovering from an injury or needing some guidance to start training. If anyone need an excuse to reconnect with their inner child, this book will surely resonate.
These are all my gym-related stories, the good and the bad. They reflect a large part of who I have become in my second act. I’m so excited to share them with a wider audience.
Also, just for funsies, I created a few fun logos to represent this new adventure:
Let me know which logo you like best!
Next steps
As August quickly flies by, I’ll finish my final edits and send it off to the editor. As my 30th teaching year starts up again, I’ll get my classroom running. In my spare time, I’ll also be thinking about what happens next with this book. Do I self-publish again? Do I look for a literary agent? So many decisions to make.
I may also start a Substack. I just have to figure out how that works. If there’s anyone out there in the blogosphere/interwebs who might have some good leads or ideas I can follow, send me a message!
EDIT: My Substack page is now live! Please subscribe and support my writing addiction! 😃
Stay tuned!
Stacey's Headspace 