Abbeville resident recounts life in book

A great many memories can be collected during the course of eight decades.
Edward Reed remembers his 80-plus years of life well. The Abbeville resident has spent the last seven months and change compiling those memories.
The finished product, “I Remember When,” a recounting of Reed’s life from his childhood, when he stepped up for his family after his father’s death, to his involvement in politics and work in the various industries, including space pioneering. The book will hit national book shelves this coming March.
“I took a three-week sabbatical in the Virgin Islands to get started,” Reed said. “My son lives and works there. He knew a couple of first-time authors, like I was. I met them and they offered me a lot of insight.
“They helped me come out with an outline so it makes sense.”
Reed, who will hold a book signing this Saturday morning at Eddie’s One Stop in Erath, started that process in March. He spent the next seven months putting myriad thoughts to paper.
“I spent those months writing, correcting and redoing the book,” Reed said. “I added stuff that I had
forgotten about.
“I could probably have added two more chapters.”
The process did not come easily.
“Writing is work,” Reed said. “I would be up until to 2 and 3 o’clock in the morning because I had to get it. I am the type of guy when something is in front of me, I’ve got to put it behind me. I would be a spot when I couldn’t stop and I would look up and it was 3 a.m.
“It was hard work.”
Work that proved well worth the time and effort.
“I’m proud of it,” Reed said.
Reed can certainly say that about his life. His father died when Reed was 12 years old. He still had five brothers and sisters living in the house, including a two-week-old brother.
“I remember my mom sitting me on the front porch,” Reed said. “She told me she would not be able to do it alone. She needed my help. I told her my brothers and sisters were not going to listen to me.
“But they did.”
Many of Reed’s memories in the book are of a political nature. He served as a councilman in Jeff Davis Parish, as well as working for the campaigns of Gov. Edwin Edward’s third and fourth terms.
“The book has a history in it and a little politics,” Reed explained. “I express myself in it in changes I have seen in this country. I get into all of that. I intersperse that throughout the book.”
Reed also goes into detail about his work in the space program while living in Florida.
“I worked on the first two generations of spacecraft,” Reed said. “It was before they really had astronauts assigned to it. I worked with the astronauts on the test sites.”
Reed’s memories are all there. He is happy to share them.
“It was enjoyable,” Reed said. “When it hits the shelves, it will make me happy.
“But this was just such an enjoyable process.”