Brooke L. Davis - Without You, I Would Be Nothing

This project is what happens when the concepts behind Grant Faulkners Fissures and Beth Ann Fennellys Heating & Cooling make a baby. Its the result of me walking through my living room one day and thinking, Huh, I should write a micro-memoir like Beth Ann, but also challenge myself to make each memoir one hundred words like Grant did in his book of stories. Im sure thats been done before, but it sounds fun (and masochistic) .

My I-should-make-a-book-baby thought led to an excess of negative self-talk that nearly squashed the birth of said baby. I started this project several years ago, and about midway through, almost gave up. Who would want to read about my life? What did I have to share that would resonate with others? I grew up in the Midwest, and Indiana isnt exactly New York or Los Angeles. I discovered that place was a large part of my story, as was growing up in the seventies and eighties when the hair was big, the colors were bright, and the music was epic.

As I wrote and the final form of this book took shape, I came to believe that everyone should recount their lives this way. Its challenging to compose meaningful memoirs in one hundred words. Its also challenging to come up with one hundred memories you want to share. My brain felt like it was being mashed through a strainer as I struggled to dial up the last twenty-five vignettes I needed to reach a full one hundred.

One thing writing this micro-memoir brought into glaring focus was that we never know whats around the corner or how much time we have left. I dont live in fear of either of those things, but being alive for a half century has taught me to respect the Big Clock as it ticks on. The Grim Reaper is coming (not to be morbidand this micro-memoir isntbut #truthbomb: dude in the black hood holding a scythe will tap us all on the shoulder with a bony finger one of these years) and eventually, he always gets his way.

My intent with this micro-memoir was to highlight the things that made me who I am: experiences, family, and place. Experiences shape us far more than we realize, for good or ill. Families are people bound to us by blood and other (sometimes dubious) associations. Places touch us, hold us, and form us whether we live there or not.

Because of the personal nature of this collection, I wrote it as if you and I were sitting at a table enjoying a beverage (you choose the type, depending on your mood), recounting the funny, heartwarming, and sometimes tragic things that happen over a lifetime. While reading, you may want to have tissues on hand. Most of all, I hope these vignettes inspire you to reflect on the experiences that shaped you and who you would be without them.

Disclaimer: This book is memoir. It reflects my memories of experiences over time. Some names have been changed and some events have been compressed. Please remember that references and situations from the seventies and eighties may be interpreted differently today than they were then; I tried to stay true to my youthful recollections as I told my story.

You Are the
Sunshine of My Life
19711979