My topic is Friendship. [Assignment in the Write about Your Life class at the Greenwood Senior Center] As we sit around our table, we extend the boundaries of our personal lives. We share memories of individual experiences. This sharing helps us keep contacts open among us. We identify the bonds of friendship we have built over the last few months. I listen attentively to the words we have meshed together. Each composition is read with confidence.
From the man who loves dogs to the minister who wants to return to the land of his former ministry, I know I will be entertained. Age is not the secret. We respect one another. The feeling goes beyond like/dislike.
I look forward to each encounter. We have an instructor who acts like a guide, a Sherpa climbing Mt. Everest. The Sherpa has given us an opportunity to experience life at the top of Planet Earth.
Writing is not a chore. I continue to write about the memories of my life. In the time I have participated in this class, I have written 150 individual memories of my life. These brief biographical pieces have yet to be edited.
I may write in a Stream of Consciousness. I do not believe this is an insult to the reader. My writing is not a means of escape. My writing gives me an opportunity to explore. Our classmate, Roger, helps us to do this in each one of our classes.
Recently, I believe I am visiting an enchanted island. The music in the background is pleasant and invigorating. I feel like a former addict who is given the chance to experience all the elements of life I missed.
Jack Hansen [excerpt from the upcoming eBook The Friendship Book]
Jack Hansen is a retired teacher, an avid writer, and a Seattle resident.
SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).
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