Faceplants and How to Recover from Them, a guest post by Gretchen Whitmer

While writing True Gretch, I realized that two of the formative stories from my youth, both of which I write about in the book, involve pretty epic faceplants–one literal and one figurative.
The first happened during my tween years, when I was at a church summer camp in West Virginia. We were playing some version of tag in a parking lot. In the heat of the competition, as the other campers and I were running around, a girl pushed me. I went down hard, tearing a gash in my knee and knocking out my front teeth. I was bleeding so much that the counselors had to patch me up with maxi-pads and take me to the hospital. I ended up going home in a wheelchair, with 30 stitches in my knee—and a pretty mangled mouth.
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My dad–who’d just finished paying for the braces I’d worn over the past two years, expensively straightening the pearly white teeth that were now left behind in a West Virginia parking lot–just shook his head when he saw me. I had always been a bit of a klutz, but even so, this was a lot. “Gravity Gretchen,” he said, with a chuckle. And despite the pain, I had to laugh. It was funny because it was true. And it’s still funny because it’s still true. The nickname stuck, a reminder that it’s better to laugh at yourself than to get upset about things you might not be able to control.

The second happened during high school. I’d been running with a fast crowd, paying more attention to my social life than to my schoolwork. One Friday night before a home football game at the high school, I really overdid the pregame. After halftime, I realized that I was drunk and not feeling so great and I should probably look for a ride home. I might have gotten away with it, if only I hadn’t passed out in the parking lot, been discovered there by the principal, and then hurled on him. You read that right, I puked on my high school principal. Even before social media, by Monday, everyone in the school knew what happened and many of my peers thought it was hilarious. And I kind of do now that about 35 years have passed. At the time, though, I felt humiliated.
This clearly wasn’t my finest moment, and I got in a lot of trouble with my mom. I was suspended from school for three days, and believe me, I would have preferred lectures from my teachers to those from my disappointed mother. She was angry, and definitely worried about me. During those three days at home, I started to really think about how I had been spending my time and energy, and what I needed to focus on as I began moving into young adulthood, thinking about college and my future.
Which brings me to why I wanted to write a True Gretch YA version, specifically for tweens and teenagers. These two stories represent moments in my young life when a big setback forced me to learn lessons that I still find useful decades later.
Having my dad gently tease me, in a loving way, helped me see the value in not taking myself too seriously. Losing my front teeth – right after I had started feeling great about my newly gapless smile – could have been devastating. But with Dad’s help and good humor, I was able to laugh at what happened, and even make fun of myself—a skill that can help any young person, and one that has helped me over the years. Even as a legislator in the Michigan State House of Representatives, when I had a temporary retainer with a fake tooth stuck to it, I used to pop it out occasionally to make my colleagues laugh during long caucus meetings.
And I’m still a klutz, slipping on ice or banging into furniture, but instead of pretending like nothing happened, I usually laugh — which makes it less awkward for horrified onlookers.
The lesson I learned after barfing on my principal was equally useful. Having completely embarrassed myself, I had to think seriously about the path I was on. After that incident, I decided to spend more time in the library and less time partying. The next year, I earned an award for being the most improved student. So, while you might not have thought that a girl who passes out in a parking lot in high school could end up becoming governor, well, that’s exactly what happened.
This is what I’d like to pass along to young readers: No one is perfect. Every one of us has our flaws, but we can grow and change, make a difference and achieve great things. What you are now is not what you will be forever, and you don’t have to let your screwups define you. Adolescence is only a chapter in your book, it’s not your whole story. When the original True Gretch came out, many parents came up to me and said they’d bought it for their kids and teenagers. I was excited to write a version that had more substance and stories specifically for young people, with lessons and skills that they can use throughout their lives—just as I have with mine.
Meet the author

Gretchen Whitmer is the governor of Michigan and a rising figure in US politics. Known for her bold and plainspoken style, Whitmer is a national voice on the rights of women, voters, and the LGBTQ+ community. She rose to national prominence for her leadership in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, when her efforts to save lives in the state earned her the nickname “That Woman from Michigan” from the former president. Later that year, a domestic terrorist cell began planning to kidnap and kill her, a plot that was foiled by the FBI and state police. Whitmer is a lifelong Michigander who first ran for office at age twenty-nine, has served in both state houses, and has never lost an election. She is the proud mother of two daughters, a huge Detroit Lions fan, and the subject of the song “Big Gretch” by rapper GMac Cash.
About True Gretch — Young Adult Edition: Lessons for Anyone Who Wants to Make a Difference
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The young adult edition of the unconventionally honest, deeply personal, and sharply funny account from Michigan governor and rising Democratic star Gretchen Whitmer is packed with remarkable insights for young people wishing to make a difference in the world.
When Gretchen Whitmer was growing up, her beloved grandmother Nino taught her that you can always find something good in other people. “Even the meanest person might have pretty eyes,” she would say, a piece of advice that Gretchen carries with her today in her role as the governor of Michigan. (And one that resonated more than another her grandmother offered: “never part your hair in the middle.”)
From navigating a kidnapping and assassination plot in which she herself was a target to facing monumental challenges during a global pandemic, Big Gretch (as she’s now known) shares the key pieces of wisdom that have shaped her trailblazing career and personal experiences in this often hilarious, always uplifting book. Along the way, she tells stories about growing up gutsy in the Midwest, the wild comments she’s encountered as a public figure, and how to neutralize high-profile bullies with a fearless sense of humor.
Told in her famously straightforward and slyly funny voice, this young adult edition of the governor’s story not only offers an intimate insight into the life of a politician with an astounding journey, but also affords extraordinary lessons for young people everywhere who wish to make a difference in the world.
ISBN-13: 9781665983761
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date: 01/28/2025
Age Range: 14 – 18 Years
Filed under: Guest Post

About Amanda MacGregor
Amanda MacGregor works in an elementary library, loves dogs, and can be found on BlueSky at @amandamacgregor.bsky.social.
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