Event: Booksigning for touching memoir at BookPeople tomorrow at 7:00 PM

[Dallas E Webster]

[Cross-posted to TechLunch]

Sarah Barnes is having a book signing at

7:00 PM, Dec. 11, 2015

BookPeople

603 N. Lamar

(near REI and just north of Whole Foods)

for her newly published memoir

Mere and Me

about the wonderful, interesting, yet challenging lives of her and her daughter, Meredith Hemphill, who has intellectual, motor and visual impairments.

Don't know these ladies? Attending the signing, reading the book, looking at the archives of Sarah's column in the Statesman (sarahbarnes.com is a good start) or even just looking at my photos at Rosedale School are a few of the many ways that will make you wish you did.

I have known them for 15 years (essentially the duration the book covers and my duration of involvement in this community), touching their lives sporadically and in small, but meaningful ways.

When  Sarah was first informed that Meredith would have intellectual disabilities (due to a rare congenital brain difference called partial agenesis of the corpus callosum -- absence of a bridge between the 2 hemispheres of her brain), she suddenly discovered that she was henceforth going along a different road than the one they had expected to take. Sarah resigned from her job at the Statesman, to dedicate herself to her daughter (now "daughters"). That dedication by her entire family has taken them to heights that could barely have been imagined at the doctor's office 15 years ago. I suspect you many of you have seen and read Sarah's occasional insightful, touching columns in the Statesman, titled "A Different Road". If not, I recommend that you start with her latest such column, which was in the Statesman last Saturday, Dec. 5, (in print) at the bottom of the front of the "Austin 360" section. Then head to the archives.

I think I've had some positive effects on their lives, as a pet therapist and knowledgeable, practical member of the AT community. But they have certainly have had more on mine. At least, Sarah said I did enough to merit references in the book. If you ask, maybe I can sign somewhere too. My dogs (one f which is also named "Sarah") were central to this, but they can sign your copies at a later date, if so desired.

So stop by to meet these folks. Maybe you can also get a little booster shot of Dallas, to carry you forward until our next meeting, at TechLunch, Knowbility, SOTX etc.

 

Dallas Webster
Assistive Technology Specialist
Upstream Technology
Making the Best of Your Abilities
(512)795-9760
(512)461-4696 (cell)
(512)795-9763 (voice/fax)
dal...@upstreamtech.org
www.upstreamtech.org