Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

Nancy Cleary of Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing, Inc. did an awesome job in creating the cover for my autobiography I’ll Do It Myself. I was amazed and emotional when she emailed the mock-up! The cover captures so many aspects of my life.

Since the book has been out for over a year already (where does the time go?), I figured it is time I share the story behind each photo included on the cover.

While in Kindergarten, each time I walked down the hall for occupational therapy, I was allowed to choose an artificial flower from a large cardboard box to fasten to my walker. Once my walker was covered in flowers, they were removed and I began again. Adults will use almost anything to bribe kids!

I loved the Brownie Smile Song:

I’ve got something in my pocket that belongs upon my face,
I keep it very close to me in a most convenient place

I’m sure you couldn’t guess it if you guessed a long, long while.
So I’ll take it out and put it on – it’s a great big Brownie Smile!

Excerpt from I’ll Do It Myself:

Being atop a horse, I could separate myself from my wheelchair, which, although it enables me mobility, it symbolizes my disability. People instantly know I have a disability when seeing me in my wheelchair, and they approach (or avoid) me based on the stereotypes, assumptions and misconceptions they have about people with disabilities. On the horse, at first glance they do not see my cp in all its jerky, gross, misunderstood ways. For that brief moment, until they take a closer look or interact with me, my disability does not exist. They simply see me. That is the sense of freedom I feel atop of the horse.

On this day I won the gold medal at the BC Summer Games!

After seven long years at Simon Fraser University atop Burnaby Mountain, I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in psychology and a minor in communications!

Our wedding day! Need I say more?

Kayaking for the first time! My brother-in-law Todd did most of the padding and kept us fair close to shore, just in case. That was an awesome day!

So many people have asked me who is the cute dog on my bookcover That is Hailey, my sister-in-law Daphne’s rat terrier puppy – a real sweetie! (Daphne is a sweetie too!)

Ain’t life grand!

Update: Now available on the Amazon Kindle!