AFTER experiencing a series of challenging circumstances throughout his life, Mount Gambier man Brendan Buchanan put pen to paper in an effort to share his story with others.
Overcoming the Potholes on the Road of Life is the title of Mr Buchanan’s memoir, which was officially launched on June 29 at Metro Bakery and Cafe.
The memoir touches on Mr Buchanan’s challenging life experiences, including his upbringing, military service, health issues, family, employment, travels and relationships.
Now aged in his 70s, Mr Buchanan began reflecting on his life and said he started writing with hopes to help others.
“I have endured some major obstacles in my life and a lot of them are what others may have experienced too,” he said.
“I wanted to write this book to show those people you can get through these challenges and how I personally tackled them.”
Documenting details from the day of his birth in 1946 in Mackay, North Queensland, to the last day of 2016 in Mount Gambier, Mr Buchanan stepped out of his comfort zone to narrate his life story for the benefit of others.
“No one is exempt from having potholes on their road of life, whether they are a king, queen or an ordinary person,” he said.
“Navigating a pothole or two in life’s journey is a way of learning to make yourself stronger to face the future.”
From a host of medical problems to three marriages, Mr Buchanan has opened up about some of his most personal challenges.
During the writing process, Mr Buchanan said he completed a few chapters and sent them to publishers across the country.
“I was not expecting much,” he said.
“It was not until I received a phone call from Balboa Press asking me to send over the rest of the book, but at that stage I hadn’t finished yet.
“After they expressed interest I wrote 1000 words each day until it was complete.”
He said he was overwhelmed by the response from the publisher.
“I could not believe it, now I have a published book and it is listed on a number of popular online stores that ship across the globe,” Mr Buchanan said.
“I am on cloud nine, really chuffed and proud.”
