Newly published author Mitch Simmons is likely a familiar name to frequent readers of The Smithfield Times’ opinion page.

He’s a prolific contributor of letters to the editor, which have included a poem in May honoring veterans and a letter in March praising the work ethic of a group of elementary school-aged children who’d offered his wife, Rosie – for a fee – to shovel the couple’s driveway during Smithfield’s unusually snowy winter.

Two years earlier, he’d weighed in with his thoughts on “squatting” pickup trucks, a modification now illegal in Virginia that lifts the vehicle’s front wheels several inches higher than the rear bumper. He also opined in 2023 on the still-ongoing debate over whether to allow solar farms to supplant Isle of Wight County’s farmland, urging against clear-cutting trees to make way for rows of solar panels.

He has something to say about almost any topic, from odes to his wife to his thoughts on the rise of Google and social media. Simmons recently compiled his writings into a 225-page book titled “Ramblings of an Old Man,” which made its Amazon.com debut in late May after he self-published it.

“I explored traditional publishing options at first, but every publisher I contacted wanted several thousand dollars upfront just to get the process started, without any guarantee that the book would actually sell or even make it to the shelves,” Simmons said. “As someone who doesn’t have deep pockets and is just trying to share my work, that wasn’t a realistic path for me. Thankfully, Amazon has made it possible for writers like me, those of us who might not have the budget or connections, to still bring our work to life and share it with others. It’s not about making money; it’s about getting the words out there and connecting with readers. If any local bookstores or businesses are interested in carrying it, I would be more than happy to provide them with a copy to review.”

Simmons, a Navy veteran and cybersecurity specialist with Windsor-based Community Electric Cooperative, said he took an online writing class six years ago to improve his skills when communicating with his company team. Since then, he’s kept writing, and writing, and writing.

The book, intended for ages 5 and up, is described on its back cover as a “reflective collection that intertwines poetry, contemplative thoughts, and a captivating short story, offering readers a glimpse into the rich tapestry of life through the eyes of an elder” that “captures the essence of aging, wisdom, and nostalgia” with poems that explore “themes such as love, loss, joy and the passage of time, each piece infused with the raw emotions and insights that come from a life fully lived.”

“Google is vast, it’s quick, it’s supreme, it knows all the facts, or so it may seem. Yet knowledge means more than just finding a page, it’s wisdom passed down, it’s growing with age,” Simmons writes in one of his poems.

“Love is my favorite topic, love for my wife, love for my kids, love for my fellow human in this not-so-loving world,” Simmons said. “… Usually a word or phrase will trigger something to write about.”

The book can be purchased in paperback at https://tinyurl.com/bdcsvw22 or in Kindle e-reader format at https://tinyurl.com/4shn5mt2.