When I first decided to take the plunge and write a narrative book about my military academy parent experience, I thought, “this won’t take long.”
After all, I had been blogging about it for several years and knew exactly how I wanted to elevate that to another level. So the first thing I did was contact Kristin Cronic, they talented artist behind Easel On Stribling among a million other amazing projects. As always, she was gracious with her time. I transcribed the Zoom call and was on my way.
The hours of writing crept into days, my life hit more than a little turbulence, and the days crept into months and … well, you know how the story goes. But I’m happy to say, after a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, it’s finally available on Amazon – Flying High, Diving Deep: Lessons learned, memories made, and relationships forged as a two-time military academy parent.
A lot of people helped along the way. Kristin, of course, whose endless patience I appreciate greatly, as she never once asked, “Hey, whatever happened to that interview we did?”
Susan Weisberg, author of the outstanding Chester Midshipmouse series, honored me by reading a couple of chapters when I was spinning my wheels. She became a most-trusted sounding board. After she read the drafts, she posed the thoughtful challenge – “ask yourself why you’re writing this book.” It forced me to articulate to myself what I wanted to accomplish, namely, not repeating what I’ve been blogging about these past several years (though that’s part of it), but rather pulling the experiences together with the benefit of hindsight, adding what I hope are depth and context.
As for the title, it came rather easily but it really hit home recently, when Grant Vermeer of Academy Insider described my approach to writing about my experience and sharing it on podcasts as “radical transparency.” He hit it right on the head. Flying high – all military academy parents know the feeling. The immense pride of your child aspiring to attending one of these highly selective institutions and seeing them become part of that rich tradition. Diving deep – so many military academy parents know this feeling, too. Those gut-wrenching moments when your child struggles in ways you couldn’t have imagined before they left home. It’s that juxtaposition I wanted to explore.
I hope I hit the mark.
The author’s note highlights so many others who helped make it possible – Steve Wade, AN Shine, Nikki Laska, Paula Treece, Marni Kelsey, Sean & Becky O’Malley, Mike Cavanaugh, and, of course, my kids.
What are you getting yourself into if you pick up this book? Well, I broke it into thirds, much like the experience of a military academy parent. First, I’ll introduce you to Kristin (if you don’t know her already and, even if you do, you may be surprised to learn a few things) and my friend Jose Cardenas, who isn’t a military academy grad but is a retired Air Force major who served in Afghanistan, did camera work on a zombie move, and teaches alongside me at Bowling Green State University. Second, I delve into my mantra – your experience is the right experience. It is here I share those moments of flying high and those of diving deep. Finally, I share reflections on quotes that had significant meaning during my roller coaster ride. The quotes range from Tecumseh to the 80s punk band Pylon to John Wayne and beyond. Like my experience, they are diverse. 🙂
Writing on both blogs will continue for the foreseeable future and I’ll continue to accept any and all podcast invitations that allow me to talk about the experience. In the meantime, if you pick up a copy of the book, I’d appreciate your feedback. I don’t have any real plans for a second edition, but I have also learned to never say never.
My Kid The Mid 