Pat Ritter. Books

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'Build An Empire' - Page 101: Chapter 11

TO MY READERS

‘Build An Empire’ is the final book in my collection.
When I decided to complete this book, my decision wasn’t taken lightly. To explain: ‘I’ve run out of words to type. Fire in my belly dwarf’.
To complete this book, I want to take you on a personal journey of my writing career.
Aged fourteen years old, Mr Im off, my English Teacher told me these profound words after he read a story I wrote: You have a gift for writing.
You write the way you speak which is unique.
At the time I didn’t understand his meaning, thinking I didn’t need to study English because I had a ‘gift’.
How wrong was I to have this crazy thought?
Twenty years onward while enrolled in a subject ‘Behaviour’ at College lectured by Mr Bob O’Sullivan these exact words reappeared spoken by Bob O’Sullivan, not Mr Imoff.
Neither teacher knew one another. I studied this subject to help me with an important issue at work.
My role, Detective Sergeant Second Class, In-charge, Juvenile Aid Bureau, Petrie, Brisbane. Reason to attend this course, I needed skills to learn how to overcome this important issue, Teenage Children Running Away From Home.
Seeking assistance from my seniors who told me to work these issues out myself. I even tried to obtain information from a work colleague whose ideas weren’t in my favour. His idea to threaten to lock up the teenager to teach them a lesson. Place fear into their minds.
I needed to produce a better solution. I visited Bald Hills TAFE College.

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Build An Empire' - Page 102:
Do you believe in fate and destiny? I do. Throughout my life I believe my life has been guided by a higher power. This fateful day I met Bob O’Sullivan, Lecturer. I enrolled in his class named ‘Behaviour’. This subject changed my life.
Instead of attending college weekly Bob decided to compact the course into a two-day weekend workshop. Video cameras used to record each session. After the first day I returned to work afternoon shift. Fate stepped in. I received a telephone call from a concerned mother of a teenager whose daughter stole money from home.
One of the sessions we studied at college ‘Communication’. I listened to this concerned mother recalling bits and pieces of the lecturer Bob explained. We spoke for one and half hours. Our final analysis I suggested she sit down at the kitchen table, lay all facts in front of them; discuss their issues, both come to a solution. Her final words, ‘I don’t understand what to say to her.
My mother never spoke with me’.
After completing the second day of weekend workshop I returned to work afternoon shift. I received a telephone call from the same parent who telephoned the previous night to tell me she and her daughter worked out their differences to come to a suitable solution. Excitement and satisfaction filled my mind. I HAD A BREAKTHROUGH!
Instead of attended weekly college Bob wanted us to write 3000-word assignment on ‘What We Learned At Weekend Workshop’. In my assignment I authored a story explaining factors I learned plus solutions to my caller’s problem.
If there is a feeling for total satisfaction: I felt this feeling.

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Build An Empire' - Page 103:
Immediately I established an office to conduct interviews between parents and their teenagers. After informing my co-workers I would personally be dealing with these Teenage Children Running Away From Home myself, each stated – you can have them with pleasure.
When each parents/teenager arrived, teenager sat beside me on one side of a desk whilst each parent sat opposite. I listened to parent’s side, then asked teenager for their version. Because teenager sat beside me gave them distance between their parents to speak their mind.
Success came rapid. After each session tears formed in my eyes, emotion thickened my throat when parents and teenager hugged each other to discover a solution to their issues. Major issue being COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PARENT AND THEIR TEENAGE CHILD! Parents lacked skills to communicate with their teenage child.
On the evening to return to college handed in our assignments, I read my fellow student’s assignment to discover mine different to each student.
I wrote my assignment as a story. Not an assignment. Failure filled my mind.
On the evening we received our marks Bob wanted to speak with me personally. Our conversation went like this: I need to speak with you about your assignment. My thoughts sunk to a level of failure.
I couldn’t put your assignment down. I read it more than twenty times. How you used metaphors. Honestly, I didn’t understand what he meant by metaphors.
You have a gift for writing, you write the way you speak which is unique. Here were those words again exactly spoken by Mr Imoff, My English Teacher twenty years before. I’ve shown your assignment to the Dean of the College. We want your permission to hold onto it to show future students. In my mind thoughts of ‘I received one hundred percent for my assignment.’ I nodded my approval. Words couldn’t express from my mouth.

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'Build An Empire' - Page 104:

Success followed success with meeting between teenage children running away from home and parents. In fact, parents travelled from afar to bring their teenage child to solve their issues. Work became fulltime dealing with these issues. At college Bob inquired how ‘Behaviour’ helped me with my issues.
After sharing my success with him his words almost bought me to my knees.
‘We should write a book about your success.’ His words paralysed my thoughts. ‘We’ll write the book in six weeks.
You write each case study. I’ll write theory. We’ll dovetail them together.’
After I arrived home each night, I wrote each case study of the teenage child’s issue. Each college night I handed my case study stories to Bob, in return he handed me his notes on theory.
At the time I’d never experienced synergy with anyone. For instance, Bob never had knowledge the story I wrote, in return I didn’t have knowledge theory Bob wrote.
I handed him a case study on motivation, he in-turn handed me theory on motivation neither of us knew what the other wrote.
After six months collecting case studies, together with Bob’s theory, time to write this book. Neither Bob nor I had ever written or published a book. First draft took one year to compile.
In those times before the computer, we depended on typist to complete our work. Eventually we completed draft number one.

I'LL BE ABSENT UNTIL 17TH MARCH 2023

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'Build An Empire' - Page 105:

Bob handed twenty copies to his close friends and colleagues whilst I did the same. Lesson number one when you want to become an author: have thick skin, hide of a rhinoceros, don’t take everything on board: believe in yourself. From copies of first draft handed to forty readers, only one returned their copy with comments. Inspector Dugald McMillan, Queensland Police Service only person to provide feedback and comment. Onward with second draft.
I mentioned fate and destiny. This event changed the pathway to our writing. One evening parents bought their thirteen-year-old daughter to the office. Daughter escaped from her bedroom, met boys, enjoyed her time, returned home to write her exploits in a diary. Parents handed me the diary. I read the contents, threw the diary into a rubbish bin.
We shared information about daughter’s behaviour. Reason for her escaping she wanted to go out with her friends. By the time a reasonable solution met, both parents and teenage child left happy. Before they left, I handed the child’s mother a copy of second draft of the book.
Following morning when I returned to work mother of the teenage child met me. ‘Can I keep this? It’s what we parents need.’ At that moment I knew Bob and I were on the right track.
We made an error of judgement handing the first draft to our peers and friends. Handing the second draft to parents of teenage child became the solution.
Neither Bob nor I could decide on a title for the book. This also came upon me while driving one afternoon. By accident I placed my hands together to intertwine my fingers, the title
‘Closing The Gap’ filled my mind. Parents on one side with teenagers on other facing one another.

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Build An Empire' -
Over the following twelve months we completed third draft. Neither Bob nor myself knew about publishing. Each Wednesday afternoon I visited Dakabin High School to speak with senior students about their future.
Students who didn’t play sport. One afternoon when finished this session a Guidance Officer came to speak with me. She expressed how in-tune I was with the students.
Conversation of writing a book about teenagers and parents arose. She asked if she could have a copy to hand to Lions Club Conference. Always having on hand copies of the third draft it was a pleasure to provide her with a copy.
Two years went by. Bob and I had no idea our next step toward publishing ‘Closing The Gap’: I received a telephone call from Mr David McKenzie, Secretary Australian Lions Drug Awareness Foundation’ to speak with Bob and I about publishing ‘Closing The Gap’. We met David with his committee to discuss his proposal.
After signing contacts ‘Closing The Gap’ published.
When I held the first copy in my hand, like holding my first-born child. Emotion shuddered my body and mind. On 29th August 1989 ‘Closing The Gap’ launched at Parliament House, Brisbane by Honourable Brian Littleproud, Minister for Education before a huge audience. Within four months ‘Closing The Gap’ sold four thousand copies throughout Australia. Reprint three thousand copies. Bob and I couldn’t believe our good fortune.

To purchase ‘Build An Empire’ ebooks @ Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1157557
Important One Minute Reads Amazon.com
Closing The Gap eBook : Bob O'Sullivan & Pat Ritter : https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52861

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'Brilliant - One Minute Read -
The Antique Vase
Joseph Banks, the botanist, sailed from his motherland with Captain Cook on the ‘Endeavour’ to discover Australia in 1770. Before departing, his father said presenting Joseph with an antique vase, ‘this has been in our family for generation; keep it to hold a specimen’.
When he boarded the ‘Endeavour’ he stored the vase in a safe place to not fracture or break. To hold such a prize presented from his father overwhelmed his feelings of love and devotion.
On arrival at Botany Bay he discovered various specimens of vegetation, caused Joseph to select one particular specimen to place in the antique vase. This selection he named ‘mulga’, an aboriginal name, taken from the scent of the bush surrounding the area.
On his return to his quarters, he placed a branch of ‘mulga’ in the antique vase. His chest swelled with pride and devotion to his family for presenting him with a family treasure.
On their return to the motherland Joseph couldn’t wait to show his father the antique vase; moreso, the branch of ‘mulga’ tree. His father spoke how proud of his son’s discovery.
Joseph Banks continued on other expeditions, not with Captain Cook but in charge of his own ship.
In early 1800 the ship Banks Captained sunk in the middle of the Indian Ocean along with the antique vase and ‘mulga’ branch from Australia; this being the last resting place of the antique vase.
For another century this antique vase sat at the bottom of the Indian Ocean until discovered by a party of men searching for hidden treasure. The antique vase was finally returned to England and eventually to the Banks family.
In 1999 whilst attending a wake for my late mother-in-law, her brother said to me, ‘you are now the rightful owner of the antique vase.’ My look was one of astonishment.
‘What antique vase?’ I asked. His story of how the antique vase had been in the family before the discovery of Australia, together being on the bottom of the Indian Ocean for a century until returned to the family, was a story of amazement and intrigue.
This antique vase now sits gathering dust on top of a cupboard in my home. If only the antique vase could talk, imagine what a story it could tell.

Word count: 387.
Stories Written at Pomona Writers Group, 2012