Becky Povich, of Warrenton, never aspired to become a writer. In fact, it didn’t cross her mind until events in her life inspired her to chronicle her journey, one of smalltown America, and feelings of rejection from her father as her parent’s marriage fell apart.

Today Povich has a long list of published works, including a recent short story in the latest “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” called “Read, Laugh, Repeat.” Her story about her family dog named Rocky is just one of 101 “laugh-out-loud” stories in the publication. In 2013, Povich wrote “From Pigtails to Chin Hairs,” a look at her life and the struggles and joy she has encountered.

“Looking back though, I know everything that happened in my life has made me who I am today,” Povich writes. “I find happiness everywhere I go. I have a great sense of humor and I love to sing and dance and act goofy. I appreciate the smallest gifts that life has to offer.”

Povich said that weird and funny things happen to her. She and her husband, Ron, live in the Warrenton area in a mobile home she bought on Marketplace. She laughs as she chronicles the renovation that has “taken years.” Although the house is not finished, the screen porch facing the lake that attracted her attention is perfect.

She grew up in the 1950s in the Cahokia area. She played marbles, searched for four leaf clovers and spent rowdy days with the neighborhood kids playing Cowboys and Indians. She had a favorite weeping willow tree that became her pirate ship.

“I definitely was not the kidnapped maiden,” she said. “I was the captain.”

It was hard to continue to be the “captain” of her life when things began to fall apart. Her father left her mother, bringing a terrible stigma to a Catholic family when divorce was not readily accepted. He moved away with another woman and rarely ever saw his family again. Needless to say, Povich felt it was her fault. She tried to help her mother cope, but growing up wasn’t fun anymore.

Povich said she escaped by marrying someone she had only known one month. Shortly after that, she found herself with a newborn baby on a military base in Germany. Her first marriage didn’t last.

Years passed and Povich had the chance to reconcile with her father during a serious illness that claimed his life. At the same time, she read a book called “A Girl Named Zippy,” written by Haven Kimmel, which gave her the idea to write her own memoir.

She said the words just flowed out as she penned “From Pigtails to Chin Hairs.” It was a healing experience.

Povich said she falls a lot, literally. She said her life experiences have also been a series of falls and getting back up. Her next goal is doing some stand-up comedy.

“I’m clumsy and goofy,” she said. “That’s who I am. I love to make people laugh. I wasn’t like that as a kid. I was shy, overweight. I want people to know that I went through this stuff and that I’m OK.”

For more information on Povich, visit www.beckypovich.com or check out her blog at https://beckypovich.blogspot.com.