"Happy Publication Day" - that was the message contained in the email I received from our publishers, Ulverscroft, this morning.
After a few weeks of excitement, primarily from me it must be said, "Slow Puncture" was released as an audible download today. Early next year, it will be available as a CD, but today the focus was about the audible version.
Peter and I both received a complimentary download of the book and so I was able to have a sneak listen last night. A big thanks to our two narrators, Luke R Francis and Willow Nash, both of whom have a jolly good shot at mimicking the Suffolk accent and my own, rather neutral, one.
As I sat and listened to our words being read by other people, I realised how much more I have learned about Peter's condition but, also, how much I seemed to appreciate five years ago when I began to write the book. The reason I say this is not to ask for plaudits for my understanding, but rather to thank Peter for being so honest with me at the time. I also want to emphasise that, although Peter's condition has changed since 2020 when the book came out, there are many elements that have not and I think that this should be noted. Yes, his short term memory has deteriorated - as we all knew it would - but today in 2024, some ten years on from his diagnosis, he remains an articulate, eloquent, wise and witty man. As as I listened to his words being read out, I realised what an absolute privilege it was to be able to capture these words and his story in a book. And how wonderful it is that for those who might find reading difficult, the words can now be heard.
To me Peter is still Peter, my friend, and he is not defined by his diagnosis. Yes, I have to accommodate the changes in his condition and, yes, I have to accept that most, if not all, of the things we say and do will be forgotten but I have continued to learn to live in and enjoy the moment rather than to lament the things he has forgotten. Given how he has shaped my life over the last six years, given that none of this would be possible if Peter didn't have memory issues, it feels like a small price to pay to remind him of what we have done or to repeat a story and I will willingly do this as many times as Peter wants. I firmly believe that Peter continues to remember our achievements with feelings, rather than cognitively, and this emotional fulfilment is hugely important for him.
And as for me, without Peter’s friendship and wisdom, I would not be receiving emails wishing us a happy publication day. And so I shall enjoy this publication day, even though it is officially publication day number three now: the first book, the Welsh version and now the audible version. Well, you can't have too many publication days, can you?
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