I just got this email from the UK and I just wanted to share. It brought tears to my eyes and made me realize just how lucky I am!
Reggie
Hey Reggie… all the way from the UK! I asked Caroline at Darlows for your email and she said you had okay-ed my writing to you. I work freelance doing transcriptions for various production companies, and for Darlows especially for the past 15 or so years [yes, I’m very old!] and have listened to an enormously diverse spectrum of people, as you can imagine, from politicians, air crash survivors, children who have had terrible things to suffer in their young lives already, victims of tornadoes and floods and yes, it does get a little depressing sometimes that they don’t tend to focus on more joyous subject matters, though I did do one recently for them on the history of Concorde which was neat. And interviewees do come along whose stories are very moving and which touch the heart more than others.
BUT… having the immense privilege of seeing you and listening to you as I transcribed interviews from the DVDs and also your wonderful mom and the fabulous Shiner [though sadly he didn’t say much!], has been one of the stand-out highlights of my career. I have felt so involved in your whole story, and could certainly relate to parts of it, like your not wanting to go out into the world early on, and then gradually being drawn out by your lovely friend who has helped and encouraged you to go forward with Just Ask and a whole host of other “out there” type things, like going to meet Maurice. I was sad for you about not being a baker, I’ll bet you’d have been brilliant, and food is always so much nicer when made with love.
Your journal will make amazing reading as you have the most extraordinary way with words, and as a diarist myself I know the value of keeping that sort of record of thoughts, feelings and achievements.
Anyway, I’m sad that my work on the programme has now ended and I’m onto the next one, but I do hope you will think they’ve made a good programme when you finally see it all put together, and I know for a fact that it will touch everyone who sees it as it has done me. “Reggie rocks” is what the girl who works with me said, and we both agree!
I wish you continuing strength to battle whatever life may throw at you, and the continuing love and support of your friends and family will go a long way to providing that. And Shiner, of course, the most important friend and companion of all.
best regards
nicky