How wonderful to be able to meet in the U3A meeting room again to share our writing, to welcome returning and new class members and to thank those who contributed to the wonderful collections of stories published on the website over the long 2020 Covid break.
After an introduction to the course and the nature of memoirs as ‘slices from life’, stories were shared on the first of our summer break topics, ‘One Moment, This Year’ (1920). These beautiful stories largely drew on lived experiences during the Pandemic. Stories shared for the second topic ‘A love letter to travel’ took us away to ‘Trim on the banks of the Boyne’, Ireland; Hans Heysen’s home ‘The Cedars’ at Hahndorf; to Barcelona; Yosemite National Park; Scotland; Morang homestead in central New South Wales; and Annamult in County Kilkenny, Ireland. These stories can be found, with Claire’s early submission ‘Bali’ and some soon to be added ‘love letters’ to Marong station homestead in Central New South Wales; to the Camino de Compostelo in Spain; and to Mexico, on the website.
This year two 500 word topics will be suggested each month, one new to intrigue longer term members, the other a previously offered ‘gem’ for newer members to add to their portfolio of stories.
The new topic for March is ‘Too Hard Basket’ – write about a time when you faced a dilemma which might have to be put into your ‘too hard basket’. Unravel what happened, whether it was a ‘problem solved’, was resolved over time or perhaps remains in your too hard basket to this day.
The alternate topic is ‘New in Town’ - Have you ever been the new person in town? Or did someone else's arrival have a profound impact on you? Share your story in 500 words.
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An aura of joy and contentment seemed to be in the room as we said farewells at the end of the session, perhaps because we had been reminiscing about treasured travel destinations, perhaps because we could be together again.
Beverley Lee
After an introduction to the course and the nature of memoirs as ‘slices from life’, stories were shared on the first of our summer break topics, ‘One Moment, This Year’ (1920). These beautiful stories largely drew on lived experiences during the Pandemic. Stories shared for the second topic ‘A love letter to travel’ took us away to ‘Trim on the banks of the Boyne’, Ireland; Hans Heysen’s home ‘The Cedars’ at Hahndorf; to Barcelona; Yosemite National Park; Scotland; Morang homestead in central New South Wales; and Annamult in County Kilkenny, Ireland. These stories can be found, with Claire’s early submission ‘Bali’ and some soon to be added ‘love letters’ to Marong station homestead in Central New South Wales; to the Camino de Compostelo in Spain; and to Mexico, on the website.
This year two 500 word topics will be suggested each month, one new to intrigue longer term members, the other a previously offered ‘gem’ for newer members to add to their portfolio of stories.
The new topic for March is ‘Too Hard Basket’ – write about a time when you faced a dilemma which might have to be put into your ‘too hard basket’. Unravel what happened, whether it was a ‘problem solved’, was resolved over time or perhaps remains in your too hard basket to this day.
The alternate topic is ‘New in Town’ - Have you ever been the new person in town? Or did someone else's arrival have a profound impact on you? Share your story in 500 words.
.
An aura of joy and contentment seemed to be in the room as we said farewells at the end of the session, perhaps because we had been reminiscing about treasured travel destinations, perhaps because we could be together again.
Beverley Lee
