English stories

Chuck Halliday’s Viral Story

le vendredi 12 février 2021
Modifié à 9 h 29 min le 11 février 2021
Par Valérie Lessard

vlessard@gravitemedia.com

Even as he wrote the daily entries of life during the pandemic, Chuck Halliday never thought he’d become an author. He did not know what destiny had in store for him. A few months ago, the Châteauguay native published What DIVOC: Love in a Pandemic; What Could Go Wrong? Everything! “Every evening I took a few moments just for me. Alone. I wrote. From March through September. The goal was to fill my Word files. It all began very simply. Each week I would add new things. I knew the beginning and the end, but not what was going to happen between the two. I just let my ideas flow. And I saw that I was able to get to 19 chapters, for COVID-19,” explained the father of three children under the age of 6. Publishing the Fruit of His Thoughts The married man of eight years is known for being a very positive guy. “In the end, it’s my reflections on what we had experienced. Anyone could have written their own story. I think that’s why people want to read my book,” he explained. “I searched through the Amazon platform to see what to do and I decided that I would self-publish. My niece Joanie Bertrand did the cover and I put it out into the universe not knowing what to expect. I thought I’d sell a few copies to friends and some inquisitive people, but I actually sold a lot more. I made a profit of $500 and I gave it all back to organizations,” said than man who did not undertake the project for financial profit. He did it to keep himself busy. “It was for my own well-being. I want to be a positive role model for my children. For children in general,” added Chuck who works for the community at the New Frontiers School Board. He donated $200 to the Châteauguay Food Bank and another $200 to the Women’s Auxiliary at the Barrie Memorial Hospital in Ormstown. Another way of becoming a role model for those around him. Sharing His Story He told of a personal experience that was shared by billions of people throughout the globe. “We have time. Time to think, to see what was happening. We all experienced the same thing across the world, but with different realities. This is my version of the pandemic. People will be able to see themselves reflected in a lot of it,” concluded the author who now aims to have his story translated into French. Chuck Halliday wrote a portrait of how he experienced the pandemic, drawing inspiration from his day to day and the guidelines that changed from one week to the next. (Translation Amanda Bennett)