Finding one's groove is a personal journey.
Former Lake Cowichan resident Larry Amstutz, will be at the town's Vancouver Island Regional Library branch on Nov. 23, from 2 to 3 p.m. to discuss and sign copies of his personal memoir: Finding My Groove.
"Initially I wanted to put my life down in words for my two sons who are now 38 and 43 years old," says Amstutz. "Since a teenager I have felt I have had a flair for writing and always considered writing a book. Once I got started, I found a natural flow and decided I had something worth publishing and sharing with a broader audience. By going through my life’s story, it really struck home that I am who I am in large part because of how I was raised by my parents. It anchored for me how exceptional they were; they gave me freedom to make mistakes and learn from them without recriminations. It helped keep me grounded all these years."
Amstutz has committed to his own creativity; over the last year he has also tried his hand at songwriting and transferring his own ideas and experiences through lyrics.
"I started learning the guitar about seven years ago once I turned 60," said Amstutz. "It would be cool to have someone pick up one of my songs someday."
Amstutz, who born in Campbell River, has an identical twin brother who is younger than him by just 10 minutes, making him the oldest of five kids. His family move to Lake Cowichan when he and his twin were five. They then moved to Nitinat Camp 3, a small logging camp, when has 12. He said his parents made the rounds on the island spending time in Cumberland when his dad worked as a civilian cook at the Comox air force base, as well as a remote logging camp at Mahatta River near Port Hardy, which was only accessible via float plane.
Through personal stories and a conversational style Amstutz talks about all his adventures growing up in his new memoir as he demonstrates that it is OK to chase that dream and give yourself permission to try and fail, live and learn, and to love, be heartbroken and to love again.
"When I was a child, my mother read stories to us, and when we were able to read, we read them back to her; since then, books have always been in my hands," said Amstutz. "Although she had a formal education up to only grade eight, she would order books through the mail to read, and I would read everything that came to her. My mother’s impact on my life through books and music can never be overstated."
Amstutz moved around for careers most of his life, and while he now lives in Tsawwassen where he met his wife 12 years ago he will always have strong ties to Lake Cowichan where his sister lives, and his parents lived out the rest of their days.
"For me, the Island will always be home," said Amstutz. "Every time I get off the ferry, I feel I am back home again, especially when I see my first logging truck on the road. Many of my dearest friends still live at the Lake and in the Cowichan Valley. We also have a son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren who live near Duncan."
Amstutz said it just felt natural to launch his first book in Lake Cowichan where it was published, and will be donating 50 per cent of all proceeds to the library's Children’s Services/Literacy program, which was an easy choice for him as he has been a reader his whole life and has fond memories of his school librarian who was very influential for him. Amstutz said he is thrilled to give something back to his hometown, and to hold this last event there, and is looking forward to a stop at the Duck Pond where he has a memorial bench for his parents.
"I still find people who remember my parents fondly, and that always warms my heart and makes me feel connected even after all these years," said Amstutz.
Over the years Amstutz certainly has found his groove and it has left him with a tremendous satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.
"Not everyone is fortunate enough to fulfill their dreams, it is genuinely gratifying when people tell me that reading my book brought back memories for them from their early years and that they enjoyed it," said Amstutz. "I hope when people read my book they take away that small towns are unique and friendships last for a lifetime. That no matter your age, it is OK to follow your dreams. We all stumble, but it is how we get up and what we learn from our challenges that empowers us. We don’t make our way through our lives on our own; many people contributed to get us where we are today."
