Hey Dad, Remember Me?

by James Andrew Beck

At age eleven, James “Bubba” Beck is ready to die. The cold steel barrel of a .357 revolver tastes metallic in his mouth—all he has to do is pull the trigger. Fortunately a visiting neighbor interrupts him.

Bubba’s father lies at the heart of the young boy’s despair. Beneath a mask of good times and community service, Jimmy Beck is a volatile mix of fundamentalist fanaticism and rage, abusing his son both mentally and physically.

The discovery of his son’s attempted suicide gives Jimmy an epiphany—realizing his acts mirror the violence he endured at the hands of his own parents. Jimmy escaped his family at 14 by lying about his age, enlisting in the Army, and engaging in adventures across the country. Now, hearing of his son’s brush with death, Jimmy realizes he’s continuing the one thing he wanted to stop: his parents’ violent legacy.

Jimmy commits to change, starting father and son on a journey of healing and reconciliation, ultimately breaking the cycle of generational dysfunction.

Hey Dad, Remember Me? is the true story of how James Beck and his father re-pattern their thinking and behavior to transform their relationship from one of abuse and anger to fondness and friendship. The road was long, and not without setbacks, but the reward is more than either could have anticipated. As a result of their progress, Bubba launched across America on an adventure of his own, to honor his father, called SerfBliss.

270 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2015

About the author

James Andrew Beck was born April 1, 1975. His childhood was defined by a tumultuous relationship with his father – a relationship that his dad eventually dedicated his life to repairing in order to break the cycle of generational dysfunction. James then committed to recording this journey by writing a book about the process.

In 1997, James graduated with a degree in Religion and returned to minister at his childhood church. During this time, the desire to write his story weighed on his heart. Realizing he lacked experience and education in professional writing, he sought out writing groups, mentors, and seminars. James found them in Los Angeles, CA. On his 26th birthday, James made the move to LA and gave himself a 10-year deadline.

While pursuing that dream, James found himself in various lines of work to make ends meet and finance his literary goals. After finding himself in everything from starting a salsa company to working as a baggage handler for Alaska Airlines to assisting in managing a post surgical recovery facility, James discovered his natural talent for solving soft tissue problems as a massage therapist. While working at Burke Williams Day Spa in Santa Monica, one of his clients recognized this skill and hired him to perform bodywork for the cast of the NBC hit shows, ‘American Gladiators’ (season 1 & 2) and ‘The Biggest Loser’ (seasons 7-11).

In 2010, James completed his book ‘Hey Dad, Remember Me’. In the spirit of giving back to others in the way his father did for him – on April Fool’s Day, 2011, he gave away all of his possessions and spent a year traveling across America, serving others. James called this journey SerfBliss, which became the first phase of a ‘Pay-it-Forward’ social project. James Beck’s story is an adventure of epic proportions (see www.serfbliss.com for details).

James now lives in Orange County and is engaged to Christina, a former Air Force fighter pilot.

Reviews

[Joseph Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book every Father /Father to be should read

So women, remember that feeling "Eat, Pray, Love" gave you? This will do it for men. Give your man this book, and then walk away. This book is for men.

Men: this is a story about a Father and Son journey of breaking the cycle of violence and abuse passed down from the Grandfather. There are no formulas, lessons or judgements in this story, simply the story of a father and son. By reading their story, it will draw you into your own, and that is where the real value of reading this book lies.

[Wil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, James. Just wow.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book knowing James Beck (Bubba), personally, since we were both in middle school together. We were never close friends, but we knew who each other were. Never knowing that any of this was ever going on in his life. James and I recently reconnected through Facebook because of a post his dad made of my Facebook page. BAM the friendship instantly re-ignited to even more than it was before. Bubba and I ran in the same circle of friends, but never at the same time. We grew up in the same small community but never ran into each other except at school. This book was so well written. The way it goes back and forth between his dad's history and then to Jame's (Bubba's) history is just flawless. Yes, there is cussing in this book, but it is what James (Bubbba) and his dad lived everyday and what was being said, so that part of their authentic story, it needs to be there. The stories towards the end of his book about his Mom having to go into "town" on foot to get their livestock that had gotten loose are stories I grew up hearing, but never realized that those livestock belonged to "The Beck's." Yes, we grew up in a very rural, small town. This is a fantastic book about breaking generational curses, generational dysfunction and generational abuse. Told in a way that I have never read before. I give this book an A+ grade!

[James Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the author and this is my first book. I gave it 5 stars, so consider the source. It took me 16 years to write because I wanted to make sure the story brought honor to my dad. I hope you enjoy it.