The Whole Story

Pat Bradley, a student in the Memoirs Class (part of the Fifty Plus Program), writes the following about her experience in the class:

My first story in the Memoirs class is dated 1999. I joined the class because I had spent several years in the Genealogy class researching my family history. I decided I should write my history for my family.

This class has been an amazing experience for me as well as for those who also attend. I have been achieving my goal of writing my life story for my children and grandchildren. However, over the time I have been in the class, I have also greatly improved my writing skills to the point where I have successfully written a couple of short fictional stories. I have also improved my earlier attempts at writing.

That is not the whole story.



This is a group of people who have had amazing life experiences, from tales of World War II, to internment in concentration camps, to living in camps for the Japanese in this country. We have heard stories of eccentric families, vacations and adventures in other countries, philosophy on the art of living, love, loss, and personal achievement. Our childhoods have varied a great deal and we have learned much about growing up in different parts of this country and different parts of the world. We have written about awareness of racial discrimination and gender discrimination and political awareness.

We have received great guidance from our teachers, leading us to think of various aspects of our lives, suggesting subjects, and bringing examples of other writing to inspire us. We have laughed, we have cried, and we have learned a great deal about one another. Because of this, we are family. No one misses this class if at all possible. We support one another when illness befalls us, we cheer on those who go off to the Amazon or want to climb the mountains in Nepal. And the stories return to us. All of our lives have been greatly enriched by this class and the relationships we have found here.

People in other places where I travel are envious of the opportunity I have to attend a class like this and to produce these stories for my family. They are hesitant to try it on their own. There would be an empty space in my life if this were to end.

I realize these are difficult times but I urge you to appreciate the value of this class for the Seniors who attend and the value of these histories for the families who will benefit from receiving them.

Sincerely,

Pat Bradley