In the summer of 2011, Dole, the huge banana company, invaded Sri Lanka. I know. It sounds bad, doesn’t it. What made it even worse was at the time I was eating a huge yellow banana. It was probably Dole’s. I can’t say for sure, since it happened such a long time ago. At the time I was probably eating a big bowl of cereal, and it was probably Cheerios, since Cheerios was probably my favorite cereal in the world, not because it tasted that amazing (even though I think it actually does! ^_^) but because, I guess, it was what I’d consider a pretty “normal” cereal.

The only thing is I didn’t consider myself normal. I had lots of crazy ideas, ranging from what I’d guess you call the “pretty normal” (I wish we didn’t need traffic cones) to the paranormal (I’m definitely scared of ghosts) ((not really though, it’s just that we’re getting close to Halloween)) and I’m definitely scared of ghosts the kind of ghosts that creep up behind you, and I’m talking about my Mommy.

She isn’t a ghost. She’s more like a shadow. Always creeping up behind me, rubbing my tummy, telling me I’m going to do amazing things in my life. My life. Where is it going? My Dad is walking up behind me, telling me I’m going to do amazing things, and that’s pretty easy for him to say, since he worked for Disney.

That isn’t my Dad. That’s Goofy.

This is my Dad:

He’s kind of goofy. 🙂 And I love him for it. He’s kind of my goofy, just like my Mommy, except she’s not really goofy.

She’s my Mommy. She always looks after me, and makes sure I have everything I need.

“Mom,” I say, “more cereal please.”

“Of course, honey.”

It’s weird for me to talk about what happens in my bedroom. It’s where so many of my ideas happen. It’s a place of sprawling papers, and pens, and crayons, and it almost feels like my own art studio. It actually is. I have thousands and thousands of manuscripts I’m just waiting to see published. I hope I see them published. It’s been a long, long time since I started working on this. Sometimes I feel like I’m never, ever going to get published and I fall into a deep hole of depression. I don’t know what I’m going to write. I feel like I’m spinning in circles, which is why I’m writing this, so I can published, and save the elephants…oh right, I almost forgot to tell you why this book is called In the Shadow of Giants. 🙂

It’s because of the birds and the bees, and how I like ice cream, and I also like Sandy. She’s really funny. She always runs around trying to catch her tail and occasionally she fails. But sometimes she succeeds. But she always gets up, and keeps on running no matter how long it takes her to succeed. And I’m calling you here, beneath the baobab tree, so I can give a speech.

None of us know how long it will take us to find our destiny. I know that for me it took centuries and centuries, eons and eons, before I felt comfortable giving this speech. I was traveling alone through the galaxy when I heard a little boy call me. Or maybe a little girl. I didn’t know where they came from. They said they were from a world where people were dying, people were getting hurt. The world was awash in war. And I took out a piece of paper, and handed them a letter. It was like nothing they’d ever seen before. It was completely blank. They looked up and asked me, “What are you giving me a blank paper for?” I said, “So you can find your story.” They looked at me kind of funny and said “But I already know my story.” “Oh yeah? What’s it about?” I smiled. “Uhh…nothing.” She smiled back. (Mischievously). “I have an idea then,” (I said), “why don’t we ask Lucky.” “Who’s Lucky?” he asked. “I’m glad you asked me.”

This is Lucky.

He’s a golden retriever.

“No he’s not!”

“Just kidding! He’s actually a sheep!” 🙂 I got him when I was five or six. My parents gave him to me. He’s really cuddly. We can give him a kiss, if you want to see.”

“Blahk! Bloo! Bleh! Why are you kissing me?”