By Vivian Conrad | Senior Center Director
I was a senior in high school when I stumbled upon a box of mementos from my parents’ college years. One of the treasures it contained was a diary my father kept during his late teens and early 20s.
I’ve always been slightly awed by my seminary professor father. With two undergraduate degrees in English and Biblical Studies, master’s degrees in Divinity, Theology and Communications, and both a master’s and doctorate in Religious Education, he is an imposing figure to those of us who love and revere him. So it was a delightful surprise to open his diary and hear him speak with the voice of a 19 year old. Before he raised a family, before he became a respected expert in his field, before he pastored and counseled and taught, he was an idealistic teenager with dreams and fears, hopes and insecurities – just like me!
My dad’s diary is his gift to me. It deepened our relationship by building bonds of common experience across the years.
All of us are the sum of our accumulated life experience. But our family and friends will only ever know what we let them know about us. Our children and grandchildren cannot imagine the teenagers or young adults we were, because they missed out on that part of our lives.
One of the greatest treasures anyone can leave for loved ones is a written record of personal experiences and life lessons learned. Stories create a family legacy that connects generations and builds a sense of shared heritage.
Author Kurt Vonnegut once said, “When I write, I feel like an armless, legless man with a crayon in his mouth.” He’s not alone. Many people balk at the thought of putting pen to paper (or even fingers to computer keyboard). Some persons might say, “I don’t know how to write,” or “I don’t know how to get started,” or perhaps, “It’s too much work – I just don’t have the time.”
To encourage those who have great stories but lack the confidence to put the words on paper, our Senior Center is adding a writing course to the weekly schedule. Beginning Jan. 8, the free class will meet every Thursday afternoon from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sign-up sheets will be posted at the end of December. Dr. Lucien Coleman, retired professor of writing and journalism and author of several books (and incidentally, my dad) will lead the class. He will help people build confidence and skills for writing down their stories to leave for future generations.
We at the Senior Center are eager to identify and meet the needs of our county’s senior adults (age 55 and older) and their families. Let us hear your ideas for classes, activities or programs that you would like to see offered here. Give us a call at (940) 325-6470 or come by and see us. This Center belongs to the whole community. We are here to serve you!
Senior Center News
Leaving a legacy
Senior center to add writing class in January
- Senior Center News
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International flavor
During our years in Kwangju, South Korea, my best friend served several terms as parent association president at her kids’ elementary school.
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Of jails, crowbars, and affectionate friends
I spent much of last Friday morning in jail.
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Treasuring our history and heritage
I’m holding a quilt that was made in the 1850s.
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An old-fashioned romance
My grandmother was already engaged to another person when she attended a wake and caught sight of my grandfather kneeling at his wife’s coffin, asking God to help him raise his motherless children.
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Tough people
“I’m a tough guy,” my grandson announced.
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Let’s focus on fun
Fragrant rose bushes. Flowering trees. Rippling fountains. Gentle breezes.
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It’s all about family
It started with just my brother, my sister and me.
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The gift of service
Monday night we held a volunteer appreciation dinner.
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Let’s go with the flow
Our Senior Center was underwater on Monday.
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Relationships come first
It was one of those alarm-didn’t-go-off, can’t-find-matching-socks, the-dog-ate-my-homework kind of mornings.
- More Senior Center News Headlines
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International flavor
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