By Joshua Brown
In Public Relations, we as professional storytellers spend most of our time writing and pitching the stories of our clients or things less personal, so it’s a great accomplishment when you find time to write about a personal story.
Michele Treacy, one of the newest members of the INK family, did just that by recently finishing a book with her father. Michele was a former CNBC TV reporter and is currently an Executive in Public Relations. However, publishing a book was a new experience for Michele and was a new style of storytelling.
The book “High Flight, Stories of an Air Force Fighter Pilot,” was a project that took Michele and her father, Lester Romine, about four years to finish. I had the pleasure to do a phone interview with Michele to find out more about her new adventure to tell her father’s story.
Over the phone, you could easily tell how excited Michele was to share her father’s story. Partly because a lot of the stories were new to her. She never really knew what he did as a fighter pilot, including the several medals he earned. It wasn’t until after his retirement that he began to share his military experiences, adding up to 150 combat missions. She got to hear stories from fighter jet training, the Vietnam War, and her father’s days in the Pentagon.
She loved hearing about her father’s life in the military, and he loved writing about it. She says, “He just lights up when he talks about it; he’s so proud.” Michele wrote the book not only because she loved to write, but it was also a gift to her father. This book brought them even closer together.
When asked about what she took away from this experience, Michele said “The biggest lesson I learned is you are never too old to follow your dreams….I always wanted to write a book, but I always had an excuse….work, family, fear of failure, and what would I write about? My father’s story was a golden opportunity to do something wonderful with my him while pursuing my dream of being an author. A Win-win!”
Michele’s advice? “I think people’s stories should be told.” She reminds us to “Take the time to ask, ‘what’s your story?’ You never know what some people have been through.”
The book is currently available on Amazon. It’s a great read for all those interested in military life and challenges.
High Flight -Stories of an Air Force Pilot
