I own and operate a publishing house - Silver City Press.
I do have an idiosyncrasy that might cause some consternation for some, but let me spell it out for you.
I'm an Aspie. I am differently normal - note I did not say differently abled, disabled, anything of the sort. I simply have Asperger's Syndrome. Despite what American diagnosticians would like to tell you, it is not a disorder.
In my humble opinion, anyone who thinks this requires "curing" by incarceration in an institution or via medication can walk on by. I happen to be unique and loads of fun with the right people. You just have to determine if you want to be classified as "the right people" in my world!
I am a four-time cancer survivor, now cancer-free for more than 12 years. I had breast cancer twice, and at the time (so very long ago) I didn't want implants - something about foreign things like that in my body was not appealing. I waited for an alternative, and now am just trying to put enough money together to make it happen. The thing is, I've lived with the scars for so long, I wonder what it will be like to have them again. Very different, I'm sure. In any case, it's pretty exciting to me...but NOT exciting enough to post pictures when I have them, so don't even ask!!!
I was trained as a concert pianist. My grandmother, who was one, counted among her friends the likes of Arthur Rubinstein and Van Cliburn. That's not going to mean much to very many people out there, but in the world of concert pianists, that's kind of a big deal. It was very interestinng growing up with those kinds of people around, and Arthur Rubinstein is still to this day one of my heroes.
I come from a family that includes several diplomats and ambassadors. Among them is Belgian diplomat Henri-Marie Lafontaine, president of the International Peace Bureau and 1913 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. For this reason, my formative years were quite different from most. I grew up with a world view, rather than a national view. This has affected my perspective on the world as it has been, and the world as it is now.
I refer to myself as an "inactive activist". What that means is you won't find me on a street corner picketing. Instead, I write. This is what I've done all my life. While I will never claim that my writing has evoked change all by itself, I do know that I've been one of many catalysts for change in domestic and foreign policies over the years.
The battle for peace, understanding, and a shared world view will continue for generations to come. Each of us can contribute to positive change. It depends on what we choose to do. Many, who could be doing something, will simply sit on the sidelines. Others will pick up the gauntlet. In my own way, I've picked up the gauntlet.
I've been slapped in the face with a cold, wet reality towel.
On March 25th, 2008, I came to the sudden realisation that I am coming up on the age of 55 staring down the barrel of the "you're-going-to-die-if-you-don't-do-something" gun. I'm not going to cower in the corner and say, "Oh just let me die!" Nothing could be farther from the truth.
I've learned a great many things about genetically predisposed conditions, how they can affect you directly, and how treatments and further issues can affect you indirectly.
This blog will centre on those issues and how they have affected different aspects of my life. Maybe - just maybe - someone else might find this useful.
