Thanks, Misfire. ("If you want to fly, you've got to jump." )

Lynn— Don’t worry about reading the book before posting. It’s not a requirement. No tests or quizzes will be given, I promise. I want anyone and everyone who has something they’d like to add to our discussion to feel comfortable doing so.

You are living proof of what I’ve been saying about the transformative power of being bold. And I suspect I'm not alone in relating to your poignant examples.

You speak of the confines of society, the secrets of trauma, and the dominance of father figures as all contributing to your shyness. Part of why I titled the book Defying Gravity is because I write about women who have freed themselves from the weight of societal expectation, family history, and most importantly, their own ideas of who they are. I didn’t realize until was I deep into the process of writing my book that I was gravitating towards women like this because those three things are the very ones I longed to be freed from myself.

Another thought: I, too, had a dominant father who silenced me. Maybe part of what attracted me to writing is that even though it ultimately becomes a public act, it feels private and safe when I’m doing it.