Words of Passage
Writing created by every place, phase, and person in my Life
For over thirty years, one highlight of my week was listening to Letter from America.
Alistair Cooke’s warm, conversational and empathetic voice painted the frenetic life of American great urban centers. He conjured up the endless miles of prairies, the ruggedness, and righteousness of Mid-western living. I was his fan, seduced forever by the power and passion of his words.
As an eight-year-old, I spent my days attending school and doing chores because I was the eldest of seven. When I had free time, I wrote. Playing was a distraction from the magic of a book.
An earthen dike kept the Atlantic from submerging the guava trees near our house. The coconut palms formed a colonnade of shade across our back yard on hot days but offered no protection against a restless sea. The ever-present roar of the sea fed my imagination. My fantastical tales were of sea creatures and people who made the ocean depths their home.
At eleven, I left the sea, missing my family and the spaces that fueled my fantasies. I attended school in the city while I lived with twelve other people. For years, I will hoard stories of being an outsider, writing in my mind.
Adolescent and young adulthood proved a real distraction, and I confined my writing to using Biblical stories as plots in skits. In the meantime, I studied Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Tennyson but consumed the works of Caribbean and Nigerian authors and poets. Their writings captured the dying gasps of colonialism. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe was on everyone’s lips.
Therapy is hard work but I have been overawed by the power of the right word to create change
Moving to England increased my outsider experiences; now exacerbated by loneliness. My professional life in public health, mentoring and family therapy engulfed me. During the four years of family therapy training, I gravitated towards Narrative Therapy because it allowed my clients to tell their stories.
It gave me space to use words to create new meanings and provide opportunities for them to reframe their experiences. Therapy is hard work but I have been overawed by the power of the right word to create change.
Growing up in a parsonage fueled my interest in faith. Having several generations of Christians in my family ensures that there is always a tie that binds among the extended relations. Regardless of our church and political affiliations, we pray the same.
Despite this strong tradition, I realized that true faith required more than compliance with rules or blind adherence to beliefs. An intensive period of self-doubt almost derailed my journey from dogmatist to a devotee. Now, each day, I try to follow Jesus Christ in simple ways.
There are many painful and humorous yarns arising from my discontent with traditional religion, most are at my expense. All have increased my understanding of people’s beliefs.
In my early sixties, I migrated to America, found work as the Director of a Child Development Center. Then I taught offenders life skills courses. I published two Essays on Faith in the Sunday Gazette and the odd story here and there.
My marriage disrupted the next adventure as I uprooted myself to live several states away with my online love.
As an old lady, I spent the first weeks of marriage watching videos of the wild west while my husband was at work. More than once, I was too depressed to prepare meals but ate what he cooked. One morning I woke up, ready to unpack the boxes, and never looked back. My partner’s empathy and care kick-started our marriage.
Those stories from Love in Retirement or about Marriage Myths are unwritten as is the experience of sudden loss and bereavement.
My academic achievements are outlined in www.thirdactwriting.com, but I am proud of my extensive writing education with core copywriting courses undertaken with the American Writers and Artists Institute.
My decision to make such a significant investment of money and time took a lot of soul-searching.
In the end, five arguments convinced me:
1- Writing is a profession like my previous career. The training will enable me to share the diverse experiences of my life to help other folks.
2- At my age, time is my most precious asset. I can’t afford to learn from many mistakes. While there are aging authors like Margaret Lois Lowry, Russell Bates, and others, they have had decades to learn and nurture their craft.
3- Folks who read choose to do so because there are many forms of alternative entertainment. I do not take the attention of my readers for granted. I need to learn from the best teachers and writers how to keep their interest.
4- Writing can supplement my retirement income.
5- I’d like to remain engaged with the world. Getting feedback from readers stimulates and educates.
It is too late for me to take the advice of the late Sue Grafton offered In The Writer, 2015
“The problem is that we view writing as a luxury, something special to allow ourselves as soon as we’ve taken care of the countless nagging duties that seem to come first. Once you put writing first, the rest of your life will fall into place.”
However, my diverse experiences in different countries offer many stories that are uniquely mine but arise from common needs. I hope my stories of spirituality, relationships, and transitions will help.
Alistair Cooke kept me entertained and informed until his passing at ninety-four. Like him, I strive to do the same.
