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Book em: "What Though The Odds: Haley Scott's = Journey of=20 Faith and Triumph
Everything is timing and place. Why did you write the book=20
now?
I actually tried to start writing it twice. I had been=20
approached by two different people before. One when I was still in =
college and=20
another one was probably in the late 90s. I couldn=E2=80=99t do it. It =
was still too=20
hard and I was still too immersed in the healing process. When this =
opportunity=20
came up I thought I was in a much better place now where I=E2=80=99m now =
happy and=20
healthy in my life, I can look back on an unhappy and unhealthy time. =
And what I=20
think really adds to the book is the perspective of time. And being to =
able to=20
show 16 years later how tragedy really affects your life. This is what =
you can=20
do with it and how it doesn=E2=80=99t have to necessarily be a negative=20
thing.
You had to relive the accident a second time. Was =
that=20
easier or harder?
Definitely easier. I live it everyday so =
its not=20
so much that I=E2=80=99ve done twice it is just something I=E2=80=99ve =
learned to live with.=20
More emotional for me was reading the interviews from my teammates and =
reliving=20
what they went through that night. I=E2=80=99m not sure I fully =
appreciated until now=20
how traumatic it was for everyone else. I think I knew it at the time =
but I was=20
so wrapped up in my own healing that really it took on a greater =
magnitude=20
reliving it the second time.
Did you end up with the book you started to =
write?
The=20
ending did (change). The journey took on its own life. The second part =
of the=20
story was different than I thought it would be.
The book is a very honest one and you didn't always come out = looking=20 heroic. Did that surprise you?
My relationship with my mom was really tough at the time. I tried to = be=20 sensitive to what she was feeling and what she was living through. Being = a=20 mother, I can see it was really hard on her. I think if I was to portray = myself=20 of not having these very human feelings of anger I don=E2=80=99t think = people could=20 relate to as well. I was angry and there were a lot of emotions that I = had to=20 work through. The more honest you can tell it the more helpful it is for = people=20 to say 'you know what I have those feelings and its okay.' That is part = of the=20 process.
Did you learn anything you didn't know?
I kept very detailed journals. Very grateful to have those written = down. Much=20 different perspective now. I learned a lot about myself, I learned a lot = about=20 my family, I learned a lot about healing and grieving. I actually = enjoyed the=20 process.
Did you find any humor in the situation?
Absolutely. Certain my brother plays a comic role. Even the sort of = the sick=20 humor, the urine bag all over the floor. My mom crawling under the roto = bed to=20 change the bed. You have to laugh. My sister coming into the room and my = legs=20 flopping around and her laughing. That was the best reaction she could = have had.=20 I always say you could laugh or you could cry and you have to be able to = take a=20 step back and respectfully laugh. Nice to be with people who understood = because=20 you could laugh. It was safe to laugh.
What do you want people to get out of the book?
I hope people will look at their own lives. Perspective of what your = life is=20 like. The sense of community, the sense of giving to people. I certainly = did not=20 do this alone and I like to think I can be that person for someone else. = I would=20 love to have the opportunity to talk to or meet with other people who = are going=20 through a tough time. If they did have a chance to read the book to = almost use=20 it as a guideline or a blueprint of how to take tragedy and work through = it so=20 its not a negative in your life. I know I would not have had the life I = had=20 today if I had not gone through that I=E2=80=99ve very blessed with my = children, my=20 health and my husband it makes it worth it.
How did being a swimmer help you in all of this?
For me swimming is such an independent sport and such an = introspective sport=20 that you spend so much time on your own and in your own mind and in your = own=20 head that you have to work through things on your own. So it=E2=80=99s a = very individual=20 sport but also part of a team. You have both aspects. There is training = and hard=20 work. Swimming in that sense does holds you more accountable for your = own=20 training ethic. I had to have that inner drive when I was going through=20 therapy?
Do you still swim?
Yes. For the emotional exercise and the physical exercise. = Everything.
Will there be more books?
I don=E2=80=99t know if there is another written story to tell. =
Certainly there are=20
oral stories to tell. I=E2=80=99ve seen the impact when I=E2=80=99ve =
told the story first hand,=20
face to face, person to person. I enjoy that. Love to be able to do that =
again.
What is not there that you wish you had put in the=20
book?
I am very happy with the book. My mom says you do the =
best you=20
can at the time and even in hindsight, if you think there was more that =
you=20
could do, you know at the time you did the best you could. I know I felt =
that=20
way about the book. Certainly other funny stories to tell. Spoken to any =
group=20
always great ways to tailor the story to specific groups.
How has your family reacted?
They are thrilled. All of them were a part of the writing process. My = husband=20 has his own recollections of the story. My boys are 4 and 6 and have = limited=20 knowledge of the story. Their reaction was priceless. "It=E2=80=99s = mommy=E2=80=99s book." I=20 showed them their names in the back and they thought it was really cool. = They=E2=80=99ll=20 be a time and a place. They are one of the reasons I wrote this book so = they=20 would know a major part of who their mom is.
By posting a comment, you affirm that you are 13 = years of=20 age or older.
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