Myperbole

Are You Seeing Me? is on the shelves and the initial response has been terrific. Readers have shared their experiences of laughing and crying and wishing earnestly and thinking differently and, when all was said and done, not wanting to let go.

A major reason for this response has been Perry Richter. The young man with the “brain condition” seems to be touching hearts and souls in a big way. I’m delighted by this – in the character’s simple eloquence and careful observance, there are lessons for all of us, his author included.

So, as both an early thank you to AYSM’s readers and a brief foray into the beautiful mind of a special person, here is Perry’s “No Lie” guide to living a good life in an unstable world:

We cannot live in a world of one.
Recent tragedies in the public eye have demonstrated this stark truth. To go it alone is folly. We need the people around us – close and distant; those we know all too well, and those we may never meet but have shaped our journey in ways both powerful and invisible.

It might take a long time, but you always rebuild.
We live in a destructive time. Constant havoc is wreaked on places and people. As such, we need fixers; folks committed to repairing the damage. Whether it’s a self-image, a relationship, an injustice or the environment, it starts with that Six Million Dollar Man attitude: we can rebuild it.   

Love is like a Jackie Chan stunt.
Like the movie icon in his outtakes, our approach to love should be bold, breathtaking and boots ‘n all. You may get injured on occasion, but it shouldn’t deter you from leaping again and again. And don’t ever rely on a stand-in.

Are you making a mountain out of a “mould” hill?
See things in their true perspective. Don’t let those hills of mould become something much bigger than they should be.

I am taking an interest in what you like to do.
Instead of just focusing on yourself, be enthused about others. Instead of waiting for the moment you can speak your mind, really listen to what is being said. Instead of being the axis of the world, be the orbiting moon.

Ogopogo is everything I imagined.
In Are You Seeing Me?, Perry’s imagination ran wild at times. But is that such a bad thing? When you give the mind a chance to play, why limit the playground? Dream big or go home!

I will be Master Disaster, brave and strong.
Have the courage and strength to be there for others, to take care of them. Be their hero. Be the one who saves the day.