billybuc, From Olympia, WA, 1031 Fans, 260 Hubs, Joined 8 months ago
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Summerberrie Interviews Billybuc
A beloved Hubber sheds some light on his evocative and inspiring work
It is evident your Hubs touch people on a personal level. Just reading through the comments on your Hub Adoption: A letter To My Birthmother Who I Never Knew (which was voted by your peers as being the Most Beautiful Hub) one realizes the emotional impact you can make on people. Was there a defining movement for you when you decided to solidify so much of your personal experiences into written word and publish them for an audience of readers?
That’s a great question Terrie, and you actually answered the question with the question. I published my first Hub on January 6th of this year, and in all honesty, my first five Hubs felt like junk, like I was some high school kid who could not write an intelligent sentence. I began to question whether I should quit or keep trying. Finally I decided I would try writing from my heart, and share my personal experiences. The Hub you mentioned, “Adoption: A Letter To My Birth Mother” was my first attempt to open up and find my true writing voice. It turned out that people really responded to that Hub, and I received beautiful comments…..so I just kept writing those personal Hubs.
It has been heartwarming for me to receive such an outpouring of love in the comments. People have really responded to my voice and my message, and for a writer, that’s about as good as it gets! I still have a hard time accepting so many nice comments, but I’m working on it.
For me, reading through your portfolio of Hubs is like going on a delightful ride called life. The accumulation of your Hubs makes me cry, laugh, sigh and reflect on life’s challenges. It is as if your hubs have a living soul. I know you have an e-book about your fierce experience with overcoming alcoholism. As a teacher, I remember some extremely difficult days. I wish I had your Hubs on hand to read during my teaching years. Would you consider writing a book based on your experiences as a teacher, too?
Thank you Terrie, for your kind words. Yes, I would consider, and have considered, publishing a book about my teaching experiences. I think it’s number five on my to-do list. LOL
Honestly, my brain is overflowing with things I want to write about, but I haven’t figured out how to get an extra ten hours into a workday. I am very passionate about teaching, and I think our education system is in trouble. Maybe I could offer a fresh perspective that might help someone just starting out as a teacher. This whole writing thing started three years ago when I began writing my first, and only, novel, “The 12/59 Shuttle From Yesterday To Today.” That was the first of what is supposed to be a trilogy, and there is a book I want to write about Social Change….and education….and….LOL…not enough time!
I think your Hub “Life’s Lessons I learned From Baseball” should be required reading for every middle school kid. If one Hub of yours for me gives an answer to the core of what makes you tick, it is this Hub. It seems this same level of determination to succeed as an individual while maintaining respect for others is what makes you a valuable team player. Your fellow Hubbers voted you as the Most Supportive Hubber (well deserved). What advice can you give to us Hubbers on lending team support to fellow writers here on HubPages?
I have mentioned before in some of my Hubs, that if it hadn’t been for some very nice Hubbers reaching out to me early on, I might have quit HubPages. Their early support meant the world to me, so now I try to give that support back to others. You never know when one comment, one word of encouragement, can mean the difference between someone giving up or continuing. I try to reach out to newcomers. I try to leave meaningful comments on Hubs, and I offer help if someone wants and needs it. I think people understand instinctively that I am serious about helping them, and many have reached out…. and…. many have remained very loyal because of that. This is a community of writers; it is not a competition. We should all try to make each other better, and support should be a huge part of this community.
What prompted you to take your “Funny Google Searches” and turn them into Hubs?
It was purely by accident. I was actually making a Google search to find out how to do something, and I typed the words “how do you” into the search engine, and the first thing that came up was “how do you make chloroform,” and I just burst out laughing. The light bulb went off over my head and I decided that would be a pretty funny Hub, especially if I added my own warped sense of humor.
I respect you as being a great author. I think to rise above being a good author into the realm of being a great author starts with the ability to be sensitive both cognitively and emotionally to one’s environment as well as world events. You demonstrate this ability in both your Hubs about living frugally and your Hubs about social reform. Do you see a connection between these two ideologies you have adopted?
Terrie, I have my parents to thank for that. I grew up in a frugal setting; we didn’t have much money so we made do with what we had. My parents also believed in helping others and righting wrongs. I saw them model those beliefs and so it just followed that I would be vocal about social reform. Most definitely there is a connection between the two, and they were both born out of a brainstorming session I had with myself. I think this nation has to return to a simpler lifestyle, one based on important values and a feeling of community. We need to embrace simplicity and we need to embrace decency and compassion for one another. So, that’s why I write so often about both of those ideologies.
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