Michael Pantlin

My journey to becoming a writer has been quite extraordinary. I never read books for pleasure, and never wrote anything noteworthy except business papers. At school, I hated language lessons, especially grammar, and I loathed writing essays because I couldn’t imagine what to write about. ✍🏼 Instead, I spent my childhood playing outside and exploring the world. Occasionally, I read a non-fiction book that explained the world around me. For my master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, I only read technical books and wrote mediocre exam papers. I never dreamt of writing creatively. 📖 A significant gift from my career at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was learning to write effective management papers that were concise and reader-focused. I was taught to focus on the message I wanted to convey, structure a document properly, and present it well. I took pride in producing strategy papers for the board to support their decisions. 👨‍💻 KLM also offered me the opportunity to travel and meet people from all over the world. Observing different ways of working helped me reflect on our own methods and appreciate different perspectives. Working on innovative international projects gave me the satisfaction of significantly contributing to the company’s success. 🌍 Early retirement was another gift because it allowed me to turn my attention to my emotional side, which was suppressed. During training to become a freelance executive coach, I developed this aspect of myself. I learnt to pay more attention to others’ emotions, which was an enriching experience. I felt like Alice in Wonderland. 🍀 With more time for my hobbies, I researched my ancestors’ stories and wondered what to do with all the information, as a load of facts interested no one. That’s when I knew I had to write my ancestor’s stories and produce a book for anyone to read, even if they didn’t know my family. 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 I felt incredibly proud when my book, “Letters from the Past – An English Family in the 19th & 20th Century,” came back from the printers with its wonderful cover. It was marvellous! 😊 What else? I served on the board of my children’s school, on the board of a charity supporting people in developing countries, and as a job coach for refugees. I believe we need to look after the planet and all its inhabitants—people, animals, and plants. I do my utmost to reduce my environmental footprint and support charities dedicated to this existential cause. 👣 Life is marvellous as long as I can explore new avenues, meet people, and feel that I still count! 🙏🏽