“Have You Ever Wished You Were Someone Else?” by Marquis Garner

Hi my name is Marquis Garner and I am 41 years old. I have autism and I have been in Special Olympics for about sixteen years. Special Olympics keeps me healthy and I participate in basketball, soccer, bocce ball, bowling, track and field. My favorite sport to play is basketball, which is a very high intensity sport which makes it more difficult to communicate with other teammates. I have recently been enjoying bocce ball since it is more low intensity and easier to communicate and collaborate with my other teammates. I am looking forward for COVID-19 to get better so I can participate in more sports.

I wrote a book called “Have You Ever Wished You Were Someone Else?”. My inspiration for writing my book are my parents and Cindy Bently. My dad always told me that I should share my story about living with autism. He said even if I touch one life than the book is worth writing. The main theme of my book is about going through life living with autism. In my book I also chat about diversity and how to educate others about different skin tones and genetics and about exposing friends to people that look different than them. My book begins talking about struggles fitting in with peers when I was younger. One time I was playing basketball and I scored a basket on another player who did not have a disability and his friend asked “why did you let him score” because he knew that I was in the special education classes. I would have lots of chats with my school counselor, therapists, and my cousin about my struggles. I would also keep a journal to write down my thoughts which really helped me express my emotions. I learned that it was okay to have negative thoughts because everyone has them at some point and it is better to express and talk about them than keep them inside. I express my emotions through the arts and I had some background parts in plays or movies, and I really like listening to jazz music. I do lots of activities to keep me busy like trying different food, new places, and exposing myself to different cultures and listening to other people’s stories. Special Olympics has been a saving grace for me since it is almost like group therapy.  Even though everyone has been through different things, we all have similar stories an experience that we can relate. I am an only child and I feel like my teammates in Special Olympics are all my brothers and sisters. Whether we win or lose we have fun together. I have also met lots of people through the YMCA. Towards the end of my book, I talk about my relationship with my dad, and he wrote parts of the conclusion. He talks about our faith in God that has helped me remain positive and strong during my struggles. The book travels through the mind of Marquis Garner who stays positive and wants inspire people even through struggles or hard times. The book took about five or six years to write and then a couple more years to publish. I wanted to make sure that everything I wrote came from my heart.

If you are interested in buying my book, you can contact my mom. Her phone number and email are below.

Mom’s Number: 4148527826

Mom’s Email: tgarnerpayne@yahoo.com