Who would have thought that an accident that occurred when one was only 2 years old would have a

profound impact on one's life? After all, at age 2, one would likely not remember or be affected by

something that happened when he or she was a toddler. And yet Willie Tee believes with every fiber of his

being that the accident that he endured as a youngster set the stage for him to fulfill his father's prophecy that

he would go through life as a failure.

The prophecy flies in the face of the success that Willie Tee has found as an author and a productive member

of society. Tee, the author of

be on hand October 14 at Book 'Em at Waynesboro High School.

"I believe that people who meet me at Book 'Em will be encouraged by my life story to surpass the pitfalls of

their past and soar to summits of success," Tee said. "My life story shows that young people can excel

despite their troubled youths." Tee believes that the wrongdoers are often to blame for passing on their

burdens to the generations that follow them. "He (my father) would press me, his oldest son, into arguments

that were designed to diminish my own self-worth and desires for achievement," Tee told The Augusta Free

Press.

As to what the accident was that impacted his own life so greatly, Tee said he isn't giving that away; you have

to read his book. He'll only say that the incident in question happened on his family farm nearly five decades

ago. "I felt all of the emotions - sadness, anger, joy and elation, while writing this memoir about my family's

amazing and tragic past," he said. In the end, he believes his book can help others with the healing process

of losing a loved one.

"My book has changed some people's feeling and opinions about life, death and destiny," Tee said.

Tee wrote

ended. "Both man and nature are depicted as friends and foes in this sequel," he said.