{"product_id":"the-silent-journey-9781681817279","title":"The Silent Journey","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Silent Journey \u003c\/em\u003etraces the path of lifelong teacher Michael J. Bellito, who had to give up his beloved profession after suffering a stroke.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"I had a stroke on August 17, 2012,\" he says.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"My whole right side was paralyzed, plus I had the inability to talk. I was only 62 years old, ready to start my forty-first year of teaching. Ironically, I taught speech as well as English. I couldn't talk at all. Pretty wild for a speech teacher.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"It changed my life forever. I could either give up trying or make every day a new day. I chose the latter. With a whole group of therapists, I learned to walk and talk again, and to use my left hand exclusively. I learned to write and type this book with my left hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This is a non-fiction, narrative book, which describes the agony I went through at first, and the relief I felt after two years at being able to come back.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author: \u003c\/strong\u003eMichael J. Bellito wrote several novels before this memoir. He was a teacher for forty years. He taught English and speech classes for thirty-two years at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and also taught at Harper College. The author and his wife Joani have two children and five grandchildren. \"Today, I can't move my right arm (my dominant arm). I can barely move my right leg, but I get around with no trouble, and I walk a half mile every day, without a cane. God has been good to me.\" (It was originally written in 2016.)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Strategic Book Publishing \u0026amp; Rights Agency, LL\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/11\/2019\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781681817279\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 124\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.42lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.02h x 5.98w x 0.29d","brand":"Michael J. Bellito","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39714238234805,"sku":"9781681817279","price":9.78,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_431ccd87-8573-4eb1-8793-3cb3b1d030bf.jpg?v=1618288362","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-silent-journey-9781681817279","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}