Jerry Straily, a Sun City resident, wrote a book that took years to finish. But this year, it’s published. The book is a memoir about his struggles and his journey to change.
Straily said, “Unfortunately, all the events in this book are true. Most names in this book have been changed to protect the individuals’ identities. And yes, there is a heaven and a hell, and I’ve approached both. My book reveals a dysfunctional family life and what it leads to: pain, suffering, loss of trust, poor decisions, and a turbulent life.”
Straily was raised in Oklahoma by parents who were mentally and physically abusive.
Straily said, “My mother used to say I wish I never had you. She would constantly tell me I was bad, and my father would beat me. He would take a 2.4 and beat me. He said that he was trying to beat religion into me. My mother had an aneurysm when I was nine. She never told me that she loved me.”
Then in 1978, a simple tonsil operation went awry.
“During the surgery, the doctor cut my artery, and major difficulties occurred.”
Straily describes the event in his book; he left his body and saw his lifeless body with blood all over.
“I cannot describe the excruciating pain as I was being drawn further into the darkness. I was headed to hell” he said.
When he told his wife about the experience, she shrugged it off as the effects of anesthesia.
Straily realized that he needed to change his life. It was a turning point.
He reflects, “Changing your life is challenging. I was a selfish, greedy, non-trusting person. I had been working with the mafia. I was following the devil, and I did not know. You never walk away from the mafia; they have their own code of ethics.”
Straily’s struggles, both in his business and his family life, are detailed in his book. His attempt to start again wasn’t an easy journey. His new career crossed paths with less-than-honest partners again.
In a second surgery, Straily underwent several spiritual experiences. “I coded three times. This time I saw beautiful lights. There was peace and no pain. There was a brilliant light. I did see a figure, and it said it’s my time, not yours. When I coded again, I heard a conversation between two people. The third time I went to the bright light, and I was told to tell my story; the bad divorce, the changes in my life, and that God has forgiven me.”
A good friend gave Straily a recorder, and he began recording his notes. Despite his dyslexia, he was determined to share his story. He reflects, “I am dyslexic and I can’t spell, and here I am writing a book.”
Judy, his wife, said, “I would go through the notes. I would guide Jerry.”
Straily stopped writing after 28 years.
“I didn’t want to finish it, I was afraid that if I finished it, I would be done,” he said.
Laura, their youngest daughter, encouraged her father to finish the book. And he did.
The Devil’s Grip by J W Straily is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
