Bob Baittie is a community guest blogger for the Pioneer Press. He lives in Vernon Hills and runs his graphic design business out of Skokie. Baittie shares posts from his personal blog Tremors in the Universe, where he explores spirituality and life after being diagnosed with Parkinsons in personal and heartfelt anecdotes. He answered a few questions for us about how blogging fits into his life, his path towards turning his blog into a book and his enduring sense of humor in the face of lifes challenges.

Q. How did you get started writing your blog?

A. Upon receiving a diagnosis of Parkinsons disease I was struck by my overwhelming sense of relief. In an effort to try and understand my emotions, I decided to begin journaling my thoughts. It became important to me to document and put into words my outlook, thoughts and views of life. I feel that I have a unique viewpoint which may inspire other patients who have received the same diagnosis.

Q. What was it like when you sat down to write your first post?

A. Frightening. I fought against a lot of feelings of who am I? to offer this viewpoint on something so widely experienced by so many.

Q. How has documenting your experiences of life after being diagnosed affected you?

A. This process has been a huge learning experience. It has been humbling and empowering. Overall it has opened my eyes to the importance of relationships and connections within my life. Ironically Parkinsons has shown to diminish connections-yet this blog has widened my connections with others. Documenting my experiences has allowed me to reflect upon my reactions. I have learned that you cannot control what life brings you, but you can control how you react to it.

Q. Youre looking for a publisher to have your blog turned into a book. Can you talk a little about how that came about and how its going?

A. The idea to transform this blog into a book became a reality due to the overwhelming encouragement of my followers, friends, and family.

More recently I have made the decision to self publish while continuing to search for a traditional publisher. I feel by transforming my writings into a publication I can potentially gain a broader audience.

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Vernon Hills blogger Bob Baittie talks publishing, Parkinsons and spirituality