NEW! “Face Your Cooties” Study Guide

Face Your Cooties, study guide and companion to I’m Not OK, You’re Not OK, But That’s OK With God, is about ready to face off with YOU at your local book club. Written by Carolynn Cheatham,  Face Your Cooties is guaranteed to have your group members shouting: “Wow!–I  LOVE my cooties!” upon completion of the guide.

In a nutshell, the study guide is about facing life and facing yourself: flaws, weaknesses, and weirdnesses, and learning that God has a plan for you and your cooties. The guide and I’m Not OK book are perfect for college students, young adult groups, Bible study groups, neighborhood book clubs, and church and social groups.

If you want to “Face Your Cooties” NOW, and not wait a moment longer, call 770-928-0389, or email shelley@shelleyhussey.com

Book available at: http://www.amazon.com/Not-Youre-But-Thats-God/dp/0615199364/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1282683603&sr=8-2#_

Also, please check our blogs often for updates and www.shelleyhussey.com for more book information.

Showdown at the Not OK Corral

Showdown at the *Not OK Corral

*My affectionate term for “psychiatric hospital”

Not OK Corral Coordinator: Hello Shelley, I’ve read part of your book and I’d like you to come speak to our patients and families next month. Do you have any questions?

SH: Yes, what would you like me to talk about? The power of humor? Getting rid of the shame and blame of seeking treatment for emotional problems? Putting the fun back in dys-fun-ction?

Coordinator: Let’s go with the “fun in dys-fun-ction.”

SH: OK. Sometimes I wear my Shameless Hussey t-shirt, depending on the audience and venue, and actually have them available for sale. Will that work here?

Coordinator: No, even though the t-shirt sounds like a hoot … this is not the right venue ….”

SH: OK. Do you have a budget for your speakers?

Coordinator: No, we’re a nonprofit hospital, sorry.

SH: OK. And since you offered me the 9:15 am or 1:00 pm slot, I’ll take 1:00 pm.

Coordinator: I recommend you come at 9:15 am. We’ll have your books for sale immediately following; that will work better for you.

SH: OK. Unspoken sighing and whining commences.

Coordinator: Also, don’t promote your book much, as we don’t want this to appear like a sales pitch.

SH:  OK. Unspoken: ????

SH: Can I tape my speech for self-evaluation purposes?

Coordinator No . . .  many of our patients have paranoia issues, sorry.

SH: OK. Unspoken: Now I’m getting paranoid.

Fast forward three weeks.

I’m glad I Showed Up at the Showdown at the Not OK Corrral. The effort was more therapeutic and healing for me than for anyone in the audience. I’m pretty sure. I obeyed all the “rules” but one. I talked about the book. This book was written with passion and guts to appeal to this exact audience, so it was NOT OK to NOT talk about it.

Towards the end of the talk I brought up the topic of husband Fred’s untimely death, and how I was now learning to find humor and healing in death, as well as life. I barely maintained composure, and found that people were connecting with my raw feelings. Afterwards, several stood in line and hugged me. (I really could have called this talk “Hugs—Not Drugs.”)

Mostly positive evaluations came in: “high energy, informative, uplifting, captivating speaker,” but a few patients saw things uh, differently: “She’s a complete hack, a Dr. Laura Wannabe, needs a major medication adjustment.” I loved this respondent’s overall observation: “Laughter is good for the soul.”

And even though I talked about my book, apparently all was forgiven. I received a standing invitation to come back to the Not OK Corral to present at future workshops.  What a rare opportunity and blessing for a lay person like me to be able to regularly share my lack of expertise with Not OK audiences and their families! Thank you, Not OK Corral Coordinators, for “getting it”: that experiences, humor, faith, and relating to and validating Not OK people are of enormous value in the recovery and healing process.

Where to find my book http://www.amazon.com/Not-Youre-But-Thats-God/dp/0615199364/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1282683603&sr=8-2

Visit my website at www.shelleyhussey.com