I phoned Mr. Cooper today to share with him some of your nice comments about his inspiring example, and he said he is now "floating on air." He said a few other things that I had to share with you. Perhaps you'll relate to a few of his thoughts and perspectives; perhaps you'll feel more empowered and emboldened yourself.
- He said finishing the book has given him "a serene feeling of empowerment." He's been thinking about this moment for decades, and having accomplished this huge goal, he feels like he can do anything.
- He said, "In the publication process, you expose your soul, and it's intimidating at first." But as he kept plugging along, those feelings gradually subsided.
- He said writing had always been an enormous struggle for him. He had failed his college writing test and had to retake the test in order to receive his degree. "I could never write," he said. "I despised every aspect of the skills it takes to be a writer. It's been miraculous to see this come together. I'm a non-academic. I'm just an old farm boy who hunted rattlesnakes and frogs. I started out 37 years ago thinking I'd write a few small articles about my life and that would be it."
- He said, "Here I am, a non-writer, and I've done this! The 42 volumes of my journal taught me to be a writer. When you write that much, you've got to make some improvement."
- He said, "I feel like I'm on a self-proclaimed mission to help other people write their stories. It's important."
- He said that after decades of writing pieces of his story here and there, he spent another year and a half organizing and editing his work. Before publishing it, he asked his wife and daughters to proofread it as well.
- And the coolest part? He said he donated copies of the self-published book to the Sons of the Utah Pioneers historical society, the local Sandy library, the Brigham Young University Library (his alma mater), and the LDS genealogical library.
