The topic list for 2023 is almost ready!  Thank you to class members who sent in ideas for new topics. 

The 500 word topic for February, ‘The (season) I’ , was inspired by Jenny’s story ‘The Summer I Saved a Life’ and Michelle’s 2022 member’s choice topic ‘Summer 1977’.  ‘Develop a title and share a story on a memorable season in your life using the season you remember it happening in as a backdrop or prompt.’ 

Alternative topics suggested for new class members - ‘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’ or  ‘The Year that Made Me’ (A topic often used by ABC interviewers with Australian living treasures.)   ‘Write about a year which made a particular difference in your life’s journey.   Over to you!’

A reminder that we have moved to the 3rd Monday – our first session is on Monday 20th February from 2 to 4pm.    Enjoy the remainder of your break!
 
Beverley Lee

'As Time Goes By' provides an outlet and support for members keen to write about their lives and tell stories their families may not get around to asking them about.

​A memoir is a slice from a person's life which focuses on a particular theme or lesson or flavour of experience, an aspect of life that is most unusual or fascinating.

Each month class members share stories responding to set 500 Words themed writing topics.

New members are invited to share a 500-word story at our first meeting for 2023 on 20th February from 2 - 4 pm, either 'I Was There', Have you experienced a significant news, historical or cultural event first-hand? , or 'New in Town', Have you ever been the new person in town?

​However, it's fine to pass and enjoy the stories shared by others.

Please note that 'As Time Goes By' does not include writing skills sessions or cover writing a detailed, chronological autobiography.


​Beverley Lee

The coming of the Festive Season was celebrated in November, with reminiscing on ‘Christmas past’ and a spread of Christmas fare, from cherries and other summer fruits to shortbread, mince tarts, ginger biscuits, chocolates, cakes, was enjoyed during the break.

November’s topic, ‘Triggers’, provided rich pickings, with the televison program ‘Escape to the Country’ evoking memories of Heather Hartland’s childhood in Wales.  The song ‘I want to be Bobby’s Girl’ reminded Graeme of his childhood barber, ‘Mac’, while a recent direction to ‘Duck’ reminded him of his maternal grandfather exclaiming ‘Duck’ to his grandchildren when driving under a bridge in his Vanguard sedan .  A visit to FCJ Convent reminded Ray of an incident involving Sister Brendan leading to “Poetic Justice (serve her right!)”, while Cup Day reminded him of having serious car accident many years ago after spending a happy day at the Cup with friends.  Neville wrote of triggers which recall engaging memories of each of his sons, with ‘The Simpsons’ featuring more than one once. 

A comment when reading a review of two books on the Vietnam War reminded Graham of purchasing an ‘au dai’ dress for his future wife when he was on a peace keeping mission to Ho Chi Minh city in 1970.  The article also triggered memories of the unanticipated impact of a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Museum on Phillip Island many years later. 

Bev described how listening to a radio interview recently led her to reflect on the impact of the deaths of the Balibo 5 in East Timor in 1975 on people from her past.  On a lighter note, Carmyl shared a delightful story full of memories triggered by a visit from ‘Sharon nee Wilson’, born two days before Carmyl’s son Stephen in Merbein in 1968.   “It was 52 years since I’d had the pleasure of again sharing lunch with Sharon neeʹ Wilson.”  Heather Wallace shared an engaging story about the way in which ‘hearing whistling’ always reminds of her father, and ‘smelling cigar smoke ‘of her maternal grandfather.
 
For the alternative topic,  ‘One Moment This Year’ -  Marg wrote about finding the death certificate and whereabouts of the grave of her great grandfather, Percy Watkinson, who died in Paris in 1907; while Bev Morton wrote about ‘A Chance Encounter’ with a woman passing by and unexpected sharing of happy memories spent growing up in Black Rock near the Half Moon Bay in Melbourne. 

In her catch up story, ‘The Sky's the Limit’, Bev Morton expanded the notion of the sky to the universe, while Barry’s catch up story ‘This (Flexible) Life’ provided a rich overview of the flexibility (and resilience) demonstrated  as he negotiated his working life. 

It will soon be 2023!  The topic list for next year will be available on Enrolment Day, 11 January from 9.30-11.30 am, with the first class in our new timeslot (the Third Monday) on February 20th from 2 to 4pm.  Enjoy a relaxing holiday break!

Beverley Lee

Bev began our October by recommending a chapter from a memoir which a pediatric doctor described as "Excoriatingly beautiful and a punch in the guts at the same time.', Titled 'The Heaviest Pain in the World', the chapter was published recently in 'The Times' in the UK.  We spoke about how our general principle of being protective of ourselves in deciding what to share in class, but noted that this doesn't mean that we should never write about profound and deeply personal experiences.

October's icebreaker involved chatting with another person about memories of trains in our lives, a topic inspired by this photograph of the Flinders Street Clocks during our Melbourne (or visiting Melbourne) childhoods.  Ray's memories of incidents involving trains and childhood friends at the Villa Maria Children's Home in Ballarat were quite delightful!

A delicious range of ‘This (…….) Life‘ stories were on October's menu - 'This (Virtual) Life', 'This (Fortunate) Life', 'This (Nomadic) Life', 'This (Dangerous) Life', 'This (Retirement) Life', 'This (King and I) Life' ,  'This (Number 13) Life', 'This (Reading) Life' and 'This (Long) Life'.   Thank you, everyone, for serving up such intriguing and engaging stories for our shared delectation!

In his story, 'The Sky's the Limit', Barry described the overwhelming response of the Swanpool community to the opportunity to host 'The Bald Archy's' and the outcomes they achieved over a six year period before moving on the design and deliver the enormously successful SCRAP Art Exhibition.   Marg Nelson also shared a most engaging story describing her long anticipated achievement of a 'Bucket List' item in visiting the Grand Canyon in the USA.  

Coming up in November – ‘Triggers’ - Our task for our last session for the year is to keep a notebook close by in which we note any ‘triggers’ which lead us to reminisce about a time in our lives.   We may be talking to someone, watching television or a film, driving somewhere, reading a book.   We are to choose one to three of these and write about the memories evoked – keeping the total words to 500 – 750 words.   

The alternative topic, or perhaps one to keep for December, is ‘One Moment This Year’, The brief -  ‘Looking back on this year, what single moment stands out for you?  Whether it be loss, love, discovery or disappointment, share your unforgettable moment.’


Bev Lee

I promised to get back to you with the Benalla Festival's writing competition topic for 2022 - it has taken time to eventually discover that it's not on the Festival program this year.  This is such a pity, as although only a few of the group usually enter, it is a wonderful avenue for adult writers, also for the young people and children in our schools.   Perhaps next year!

Given a large air show is a feature of the Benalla Festival in 2022, also that a new course  'The Sky's the Limit' is being offered in 2023 to reflect Benalla's long association with aviation, our second topic is a repeat of the brief set for the 2016 Festival competition, 'The Sky's the Limit', prior to the world gliding championships in January 2017.  

"As part of the 2016 Benalla Festival, budding writers in Benalla Rural City are invited to enter a poem or a piece of prose on the topic ‘The Sky is the limit!’ This topic is based on this year’s Benalla Festival theme which celebrates Benalla’s long association with aviation. Your piece might be: 

• a bird’s eye view of our beautiful part of North East Victoria.
• about gliding in Benalla and the World Gliding Championships. 
• about our fascination with all forms of flight. 
• about the future possibilities with space travel. 
• about a time when you or someone else excelled at school, work or on the sporting arena. 
• about a time when your achievements exceeded expectations. 
• about someone who inspires you or has inspired you to always do your best. (This might be your mum, dad, grandparent, next door neighbour, teacher or sporting coach). 
• about organisations that help create a better community.

The possibilities are unlimited. The sky really is the limit!"

I've already received some stories for 'This (....) Life'!    The Brief:  “Create and develop a concept for a story drawing on something which is happening now or reflects on memories from the past”, for example,  ‘This (Downsizing) Life’ by an 80+ year old about planning to farewell loved home; ‘This (Number 8) Life’ about growing up as ‘Number 8’ in a family of nine children.  Stories ‘This (Adventurous) Life’ and ‘This (Fear of Heights) Life’ are among those written last year.

Finally, a reminder  to check out the ‘brief bio’ on your ‘Our Stories’ page to see if you would like to change it to better reflect your reason for writing stories, your intended audience, etc.  


Bev

Our icebreaker activity this month built on a chapter in Martin Amis’s memoir ‘Experience’ relating to the slice of life ‘experiences with teeth’! Members were asked to talk in pairs about a ‘slice of their life’ relating to ‘teeth’—while faces appeared quite unimpressed when given the topic, the room was soon resonant with a quiet buzz of memory sharing; with moving recollections of ‘experiences with teeth’ later shared by each of our two ‘Heathers’. 

The topic “Bucket List” proved popular, with nine stories shared and now available on the website.  Few told of a catch-all ‘bucket list’, however most explored goals, dreams, places and aspirations which have been achieved, some highlighting those which remain to be achieved.  Carmyl wrote of not having had a bucket list, “I can only think that, for me, I lived the life that came along”, while Graham titled his beautifully written contribution ‘There’s a hole in my bucket list, dear Liza’.

Barry’s ‘It’s Never Too Late’ story was triggered by watching the Australian comedy ‘Never Too Late’ while in covid isolation in Perth a few months ago, while Graeme shared two ‘It’s never too late-two vignettes’, one on missing a train that was four hours late, the other about an aunt who proved it’s never too get late to get a PhD when she was 81. 
 
Bev’s catch-up story, ‘No One Left in Limbo’, was triggered by a photograph of a community ‘social causes’ banner containing the letter M she created for the versatile Daylesford Community Banner in 1982. 

Inspired by the Australian’s Weekend Review column which publishes original submissions of 450-500 words, ‘This (….) Life’ is one of our topics for October.  The Brief:  “Create and develop a concept for a story drawing on something which is happening now or reflects on memories from the past”, for example,  ‘This (Downsizing) Life’ by an 80+ year old about planning to farewell loved home; ‘This (Number 8) Life’ about growing up as ‘Number 8’ in a family of nine children.  Stories ‘This (Adventurous) Life’ and ‘This (… Fear of Heights) Life’ are among those written last year and available on the website. 

Once the Benalla Festival’s Writing Competition details have been released – usually around 8 October – I’ll email everyone the details of the second topic for October.  You may also decide to enter the Competition!
​
Beverley Lee

This month’s warmup reminiscence involved describing how the music of Judith Durham, Olivia Newton-John or Archie Roach intersected in our life stories. Responses included Michelle's 'lived experience' as a teenager when 'Grease' hit the screens and Marg Nelson’s ‘lived experience’ as the mother of a teenage daughter obsessed with 'Grease'. Ray described his admiration for Judith Durham's voice and the song 'World of Our Own', while Barry remembered Olivia and Pat Carroll coming into the bank branch at which he was a young relieving teller to do their banking.  Marg McCrohan remembered attending a Seeker's concert at the Myer Music Bowl, while Carmyl described memories of seeing Olivia as a young girl, walking in the grounds of Melbourne University with her father, Brin Newton-John, Master of Ormond College.

Bev Lee continued this theme in her ‘Right Here, Right Now’ story about hearing Archie Roach sing at the Labour Day Concert at the Melbourne Concert Hall in 1990.  Jenny's reflective 'Here and Now' meditation followed. Michelle then suggested reading her ‘member's choice’ story, 'Summer of 77', to lighten the mood.  Graeme's ‘Right Here, Right Now’ story humorously aligned anecdotes of the Machiavellian tendencies of a certain ex-Prime Minister with those of his teenage grandchildren as they try to wedge their parents on an issue!  Ray reflected poignantly on a long life, while new to Benalla member, Graham, wrote movingly about what we move towards and what we leave behind.

In another ‘member’s choice’ story, 'How can I keep from singing’, Carmyl delightfully explored a lifetime of taking every possible opportunity to sing, a pattern which continues today with her involvement in our Singing for Fun group.  Bev Morton’s story ‘Gap Year’, which described her memories of very eccentric school master at a one teacher school on Phillip Island, received a round of spontaneous applause. Barry's story 'Options' had a sting in the tale – the choice, avoiding a wife's potential wrath or facing down the potential wrath of a black snake!  Heather's story 'Outback Adventure' also featured high drama. 
 
Catch up stories shared included 'Ritual--Immortalized in film' (Michelle); 'Community--Community Radio’, (Neville); and 'Memories Treasure Chest' (Marg Nelson and Heather Hartland). 

Next month’s topic is ‘Bucket List’ Most of us have a “bucket list” of things we’d like to achieve in life (e.g., ‘Seeing the Northern Lights’ or ‘Writing my memoirs’), a catch-all list of life goals, dreams, places and aspirations. Do you remember when something was first was added to your bucket list, the circumstances surrounding it? Which have you achieved, and which are you still on your list? Share your bucket list stories in 500 words.

The alternative topic is “It's never too late” Do you have an 'It's never too late story' about yourself or someone you know or knew? Share your story in 500 words.

Bev Lee

​Our icebreaker activity in July caused much amusement, with a viewing of the short film 'Smashing Pumpkin' from the SBS series ‘Tales from the Golf’, followed by discussion of themes which resonated with us.

This month’s stories for the topic ‘Ritual’ included Ray's delightful story of his 90th birthday celebrations; Marg McCrohan's memories and photos of her parents’ Golden Wedding celebrations in April 1991; and Graeme's reflections on the funeral of an old friend attended the previous day, and the memories he had shared with him over time.   Graham wrote beautifully about a ritual practice he developed while walking down a favoured bush lane to a lagoon near his home on NSW’s far south coast.

Inspired by an expired passport and the current political climate, the topic ‘Memories Treasure Chest’, brought forward Bev Morton’s gripping story of an attempted landing on an Arctic Island from a small Russian ship.  It also evoked Carmyl’s delightful stories, replete with evidence, of ‘when marbles were in fashion’ and when her 17-year beau (later husband Don) gave her a box of Old Gold Chocolates on their first ‘date’. 

​‘Catch up’ stories this month included Marg McCrohan's ‘Causes’ story of visiting detained asylum seekers at MITA in Melbourne, a story reflecting Marg’s deep and long-term concern and advocacy for refugees.  Marg Nelson’s story of participating in the Farmers' March through Melbourne to Parliament House on March 26, 1985, was also powerful.  Her ‘Community’ story about belonging to a community of garden club members who enjoy growing and showing Chrysanthemums had an intriguing ending – a Chrysanthemum has been named ‘Margaret Nelson’ after her!  Heather's story, about the senior homeowners’ community at the Lifestyle Village in Sydney Road she has grown to love and advocate for, also related to our ‘Causes’ collection, as did Barry's 'Rebellion' story involving rebelling against a CFA policy affecting access to ‘loss of income compensation’ when advocating for an older volunteer CFA fire fighter injured in the Lurg area during the 2014 fires.

Next month's topic is 'Right Here, Right Now’ ‘A time capsule of the present which incorporates reflections on the past. Write a story about a situation currently unfolding in your life, right here, right now'.

The alternate topic: ‘Member’s Choice’ 'This is your chance to develop your own ‘500 words’ topic and share it with others!'

Bev Lee

On ‘Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery’ this week Marcia Hines described her mother as having a wise saying for every occasion. ‘Wise sayings’ became the prompt for our icebreaker – the stories shared were precious!

We moved on to read a beautifully written Facebook post by writer Arnold Zable which began ‘Election Day.  May 21, Mid Afternoon.  I make my way to Canning Street, Carlton North…’.  Bev explained how using Arnold‘s post as a prompt and model had encouraged her to write in a more creative way for this month’s topic ‘Causes’ -- ‘Election Day. May 21.  7.45 am.  I make my way from Benalla to the Tatong Polling Booth, …
’
Carmyl’s ‘Cause’, ‘The Multi-Cultural Program’ was triggered when chatting to a young Japanese woman who had married a local and had lived in her town for four years - “I walk down the street and nobody notices me. They think I’m a tourist. It’s as though I’m invisible.”

Jenny’s ‘causes’ related to activism in fighting for the staff ‘Car Park’ at the Benalla Hospital and, as a parent of primary age school children, acting when ’The Raison d’Etre for 15 Mile Creek Camp was threatened’. 
 
New member Graham combined ‘Causes’ and the alternative topic ‘Rebellion’ in ‘A Rebel with a Cause’, a story about conscription set in the Vietnam War era which left us all desperate to find out ‘what happened next’!  Ray’s story of rebellion involved his adhering to ethical principles despite a power imbalance.  Bev then delved into the archives, sharing Elizabeth Kearns’ delightful story of a childhood rebellion in Ireland.

Catch up stories were also shared, Jenny reading her poem ‘Trees’ and Bev Morton her ‘prose poem’ on ‘Community’ with the mysterious title ‘We Only Meet On Dark Nights’.   We look forward to more catch-up stories being shared in July, including Marg’s ‘Causes’ story on refugees and Barry’s story of ‘Rebellion’.

Our topic for July is ‘Ritual’… “Write about a memorable ritual event in your life (or in which you were involved)- it could be a 21st, making a debut; engagement, wedding, child ‘s christening, first communion, confirmation or other cultural milestone Why did you choose this particular ritual to write about?  What is there about it that is so memorable for you”.

The alternate topic is ‘Memories Treasure Chest’ (1) Create/Draw upon an ‘Memories Treasure Chest’ in a shoe/other box containing objects and artefacts such as maps, menus, theatre programs, an old report card, vials of perfume, a garment, treasured photographs, a souvenir, an expired passport…(2) Select two items from the treasure chest as creative prompts – what do they mean to you? What were you doing, why; what were you thinking at the time this object related to your life? (250 words for each object)

On a final note, during the session we shared Carmyl’s excitement at her son Michael Winkler’s shortlisting for the Miles Franklin Literary Award for his book ‘Grimmish’.  We wish him well!
​
Bev Lee

The memoir 'vignettes' which were written for May’s warmup activity, 'Gone Fishing', were varied and precious.  Neville and Graeme then reminisced about childhood memories of Anzac Days which have stayed with them, with Neville's story also honouring his father and Graeme’s story describing decades of participation in Anzac Day marches as a band member.  
​
Under the theme of 'Friendship', stories of great warmth were shared about the rediscovery of 'A Long Lost Friend' by Carmyl, Heather, Joan and Marg.  Ray chose 'A Friendship Tested', reading his father's poem, 'The Stockman's Lament', a poem which powerfully illustrates the way in which young people can test friendships using peer group pressure involving risk, danger, and in this case, death. 

With two months to catch up on, a longer session with an afternoon tea of slices, biscuits and chocolates was the order of the day.   During the break we celebrated Ray O'Shannessy's 90th birthday.  Ray has been a member of the memoir writing group since February 2017 and has written many stories about his life since then.   Happy Birthday, Ray!

The topic, 'Community', resulted in stories set in geographic communities, such as Barry's story of growing up in Wollert and Ray's record of his extensive involvement in the Benalla community. Stories about ‘communities of interest' were also shared - Marg's participation in “Tennis Playing Communities” from County Tipperary to Benalla; Carmyl's beloved cottage industry community at Tallangatta; Bev's reflections on educational communities, and Heather's story about the RAAF– “I have been in a number of places where I have developed a real sense of community, but none affected me more than my years of service with the RAAF”… 

During the session we listened to a new story on Life Matters from the ABC’s current ‘500 words’ project.  Writers now submit stories recorded on their smart phones!  We talked about adding their new topics to our list, with the group clearly in favour of 'Precious Objects', but not so sure about 'True Confessions'!   We also checked out the positive comments Marg’s story ‘Annamult’ has received on the website from people living in Ireland.

Our topic for June is 'Causes' - the brief "Tell us about a time, or times, when you have taken on a cause you were passionate or concerned about. When did this occur; why was it important to you, how did you go about addressing it - with what result?"
 
The alternate topic for June is 'Rebellion'- The brief, "Have you ever challenged authority, defied expectation or fought for your beliefs?  (Each month we offer a popular, previously used topic as an alternative for newer members and those wishing to revisit and perhaps edit a previous story.) 

On a final note, kudos to new members Graeme and Joan, who have now taken the leap, sharing engaging stories to commence their collection of 'slices of life' stories for 'As Time Goes By'.


​Bev Lee

We did not meet in April as our session fell on Anzac Day, however we have extended our meeting time on Monday 23 May to 1 to 4 pm.  Please bring one if not two 500-word stories and a small plate of afternoon tea or some chocolates to share! 

The topics?  ‘Community’ (April’s topic)- “Write about a community you participated in, taking this opportunity to write about a slice of your life’s journey which may be of interest to your family. It could be a community in which you felt a really ‘good fit’, a community which changed you, perhaps even a community you were glad to leave behind.  Share your reflections in 500 words.  ” 'Community' can be a geographical unit - a region, a town, a neighbourhood, a street, but it can also relate to a 'community of interest' you belong or have belonged to.

The alternate April topic is ‘Anzac Day’ – The Brief - 'Looking back over your lifetime, write about your memories of Anzac Day and its place in the cultural rituals of your family and the communities in which you have lived, moving from the personal to the political if you wish. “A chance to reminisce about memories of Anzac Day (or Days) which have stayed with us over time”. 

‘Long Lost Friend’ (May’s topic) – “Have you ever come across a long-lost friend years after first meeting them? Tell us about the time when you first knew them, how you lost touch and the major changes in your life since, how you met them again, and your reflections on doing so. Are you still in contact? Explain what has happened since you came across them again.” (‘long lost’ could also be a family member).

The alternate May topic is ‘A Friendship Tested’ - "A true friend is there through thick and thin, but not all friendships survive under pressure. Tell us about a time when a friendship was put to the test. Did it strengthen your relationship, or push it over the edge?"

Bev Lee

It has been wonderful to return to class this year, with five new members joining returning students in sharing stories in class. 

​February’s topic, ‘I Was There’, elicited fascinating ‘slices of life’, including meeting the Queen in New Zealand as a young Girl Guide; hearing President Soekarno speak at the opening of a new university in Aceh, Indonesia in 1962; and being there when the Russell Street bombing occurred on March 27th1986.  Stories written for ‘One Moment, This Year (2021)’ described the deep disappointment of continued absence from family during Covid and unforgettable moments of pure joy at eventually being together again. 
  
‘Tree Stories’ proved to be a delightful topic in March, incorporating many captivating memories of childhood.  Other ‘Memories of Childhood’ were also shared, memories of a happy childhood in England and ‘the big adventure’ of migrating to Australia;  also ‘early 1940’s’ memories of train trips to wartime Melbourne, visits to the department stores of Foy and Gibson, Buckley and Nunn and the Myer Emporium and a father’s departure from Spencer Street on the ‘Spirit of Progress’ before leaving for the war in Europe. 

We will not be meeting on Anzac Day but have extended our meeting time in late May to from 1 to 4 pm.  Please bring two 500-word stories and a small plate of afternoon tea or some chocolates to share! 

The topics?  ‘Community’ - “Write about a community you participated in, taking this opportunity to write about a slice of your life’s journey which may be of interest to your family. It could be a community in which you felt a really ‘good fit’, a community which changed you, perhaps even a community you were glad to leave behind….” and ‘Long Lost Friend’ – “Have you ever come across a long-lost friend years after first meeting them? Tell us about the time when you first knew them, how you lost touch and the major changes in your life since, how you met them again, and your reflections on doing so. Are you still in contact? Explain what has happened since you came across them again.” (other ‘long lost’?...eg. family member, item, pet…)”. 
​
The alternate topics are ‘Anzac Day’ and ‘A Friendship Tested’. 

The detailed list of topics and alternates for 2022 is always available - see RH column.  


Bev Lee

Icebreaker/Reflecting Back
Interview another class member about their own, their mother's or perhaps grandmothers experience of being a housewife.  Do you think they led a dull or exciting life....?   What other questions might help them to open up....

The Writing Process
What to share?  Looking after ourselves emotionally.

Topics - March
​
‘Tree stories…’ The brief – “Reflect for a few minutes on the role or presence of trees earlier in your life, brainstorming a list of your thoughts. Draw upon your list to write about two or three of these memories of trees, taking us back into your world at the time, the meaning of these trees to you then, and perhaps even now”. 

The alternative topic is - ‘A Childhood Memory’ or 'A Childhood Experience' “Some childhood memories stay with us despite the passage of time. Some of these memories involve something which happened which inspired and built on our imagination. Share a story taking us back to one”.

Upcoming Topics

'Community' can be a geographical unit - a region, a town, a neighbourhood, a street - . but it can also relate to 'communities of interest' you belong or have belonged to.  I often think that our U3A groups represent 44 different 'communities of interest'.  I'm not interested in gardening, but  avid gardeners join and enjoy Garden Team and Garden Appreciation!  Sometimes people are in two or three areas of similar interest and often find themselves going out for coffee together as well as meetig at U3A.  

The topic was inspired by a story in the Tatong Tattler a few weeks ago titled 'Community'. While it relates to a geographic community, it also relates to communities of interest, in this case, in people sharing power lines; people who have animals on their farms!
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‘Community’ The Brief - 'Write about a community you observed and participated in, taking this opportunity to write about a slice of your life’s journey which may be of interest to your family. It could be a community in which you felt you were a really ‘good fit’, a community which changed you, a community you were glad to leave behind….' Share your reflections in 500 words.

The alternate topic ‘Anzac Day’ – The Brief - 'Looking back over your lifetime, write about your memories of Anzac Day and its place in the cultural rituals of your family and the communities in which you have lived, moving from the personal to the political if you wish. “A chance to reminisce about memories of Anzac Day (or Days) which have stayed with us over time”. 

Introduction - Course Description ... "As Time Goes By provides an outlet and support for members keen to write about their lives and  tell stories their families may not get around to asking them about".   The course is memoir based - it does not cover writing a detailed, chronological autobiography.

A memoir is a slice from a person’s life which focuses on a particular theme or lesson or flavor of experience, an aspect of life that is most unusual or fascinating.   

Icebreaker/Warm up - Interview another class member... what do you remember about your first day at school?  Suggestions - eg. Use open ended questions.... "Can you tell me about".... Use Minimal encouragers - nods, 'mm's', repeating last few words said, and more. 

Sharing of February's stories:

#1 One moment, this year (2021)
Marg McCrohan
​Margaret Nelson
Joy Shirley

#2 Memoir
Barry O'Connor
 
#3  I was there -
Michelle Aitken
Neville Gibb
Heather Hartland
​​Bev Lee 
Bev Morton
Carmyl Winkler

A Personal Experience
Jenny Monger

Stories have started to be sent in for sharing at our ‘post newsletter deadline’ class on Monday 28 February.  The topics - 
 
#1 One Moment, This Year Looking back on 2021, what single moment stands out for you?  Whether it be loss, love, discovery or disappointment, share your unforgettable moment. 
#2 A Memoir - ‘Head for your bookshelf, the library or an online book-store to retrieve a memoir, preferably one which has meant something to you.   When did it enter your life?  How did it then, or does it now, relate to your life story?’ 
#3 ‘I Was There’… Have you experienced a significant news, historical or cultural event first-hand?    Share your personal piece of history in 500 words.

We are looking forward to meeting new members, who have the added option of sharing stories of being ‘New in Town’.  We’ll also be distributing and discussing the topic list for 2022.
​
Bev Lee

We are looking forward to hearing memories from last year's members on one of three topics set for the holiday period on our return on Monday 28 February at 2 pm - 
​
#1 One Moment, This Year
Looking back on 2021, what single moment stands out for you?  Whether it be loss, love, discovery or disappointment, share your unforgettable moment. 
#2 A Memoir' -   ‘Head for your bookshelf, the library or an online book-store to retrieve a memoir, preferably one which has meant something to you.  When did it enter your life?  How did it then, or does it now, relate to your life story?’  (If you would like a more detailed framework to write your memoir review, check out ‘A Memoir which has meant something to me’ from the ATGB web page.) 
#3 ‘I Was There’…
Have you experienced a significant news, historical or cultural event first-hand? Share your personal piece of history in 500 words.

New members are also encouraged to bring along a story, either 'I Was There’ (#3 above) or ‘New in Town’, a great topic to share to introduce yourself if you are relatively new to Benalla.  The brief ‘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'.  However, it’s fine to ‘pass’ and enjoy the stories shared by others.

Looking forward to seeing you all on Monday 28 February at 2 pm in meeting room 1!

Bev Lee

November's warmup activity, 'I very nearly... ' resulted in the sharing of gems, including 'I very nearly photographed Gregory Peck', 'I very nearly won Tattslotto' and 'I very nearly died in a car accident''.   The reading of an article 'Secrets Big and Small - Beneath their chestnut wigs and moralising, who were these people?' by Monica Dux, The Age, October 24 1924 provided a fertile base for discussion of dilemmas which can come up in memoir writing, which at times relates to difficult and complex family matters which family members can have different views about.  

This month's topics  were 'Found' and 'Triggers'.

It has once again been a great delight to convene this group and to share their stories on the website.  I'm looking forward to hearing stories selected from the following topics at our first session in late February:
One Moment, This Year 2021
Looking back on 2021, what single moment stands out for you?  Whether it be loss, love, discovery or disappointment, share your unforgettable moment. 
'A Memoir' -  The brief – ‘Head for your bookshelf, the library or an online book-store to retrieve a memoir, preferably one which has meant something to you.  When did it enter your life?  How did it then, or does it now, relate to your life story?’ 
' I Was There’… 
Have you experienced a significant news, historical or cultural event first-hand? Share your personal piece of history in 500 words.


Bev Lee
​November 2021

October's session began with an exercise using this month's topic 'This (....) Life', to draw upon current preoccupations, joys, frustrations.  Short 'slices of life' stories were written and shared including 'This ('Jigsaw Playing Lockdown'), ('Proud Mother's), ('Grass Cutting'), 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'), ('Vexatious'), ('Frustrating Technology Monday'), ('Bureaucratic B.S'), and ('Frustrated Shareholder's') Life'.  
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In danger of the group drowning in despair over technology related bureaucracy and covid (the complexities of registering vaccination certificates on the QR check in app having taken a toll) - Bev Lee shared her feel good 'This (Time Travelling) Life' story about time spent immersed in the lives of ancestors while adding recently discovered photos to ancestry.com.  Neville's 'This (Royal) Life' story drew us in to the imagined life of the young Queen Elizabeth when she travelled to Benalla in 1954.  The daughter of a doctor with a fascination with Ireland and travel, Margaret shared 'A Fortunate Life' - with apologies to A. B. Facey', a story of life in a large family which moved frequently, an ‘inbuilt support group’ endowed with good genes and ‘a good sense of humour’.  Barry's story 'This (Confusing) Life' addressed the confusion of the messages in the news around the pandemic he has experienced while journalling about it over the past 18 months, and his concerns about the opening up and the journey to follow.

Bev Morton's evocative, quietly humorous story about 'Courage' addressed her fear of heights and its impact on her, particularly during her many travels in Greenland.   Elizabeth's Right Here, Right Now - I'm Thinking of Saturday Nights' story took us to Ireland from 1946 to 1956 in a beautiful story about how her resilient family shared Saturday's working together, of bath time on a Saturday night, of her father's skills and philosophies as the family's cobbler.  In her story 'Found' Joy reflects on finding a career as one of the early graduates taking up work in the computer industry as a trainee programmer, a career which culminated in roles in project management, quality control and senior team management.

Some stories on previous topics were also added this month to 'Our Stories' on the website.

Topics for our next class on 22 November – 
‘Found’   Use the simple prompt ‘Found’ to write about something of lasting importance to you which you discovered at some stage of your life.  What led up to it, what did you find out, what has it meant to you since?  It can be a thing, an idea, a person, ….. the sky’s the limit! 
‘Triggers’ (alternative topic)Keep a notebook close by this month in which to note any ‘triggers’ which led you to reminisce about a time in your lives.   You may have been talking to someone, watching television or a film, driving somewhere, reading a book.   Choose one to three of these and write about the memories evoked – keeping the total words to 500 – 750 words.
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Bev Lee

A range of stories have already submitted for October's class, with more to come!

'This (Confusing) Life' (Barry O'Connor)
'This Life' - 'A Fortunate Life' (Marg McCrohan)
'This (Time Travelling) Life'  (Bev Lee)

'Courage' (Bev Morton)

'If Only' (Gary Edwards)

'Right Here Right Now ...I'm thinking of Saturday nights' (Elizabeth Kearns)
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'Found' (Joy Shirley)

Next month's topics for class on 22 November - 

‘Found’
Use the simple prompt ‘Found’ to write about something of lasting importance to you which you discovered at some stage of your life.  What led up to it, what did you find out, what has it meant to you since?  It can be a thing, an idea, a person, ….. the sky’s the limit! 
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(Alternate) ‘Triggers’ 
Keep a notebook close by this month in which to note any ‘triggers’ which led you to reminisce about a time in your lives.   You may have been talking to someone, watching television or a film, driving somewhere, reading a book.   Choose one to three of these and write about the memories evoked – keeping the total words to 500 – 750 words
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Our first session in the U3A meeting room for over three months began with the sharing of earthquake and lockdown stories!   After a warm up activity, 'Share a story with another class member about a time when you got into trouble...', Neville and Val shared Right Here, Right Now ' stories, with Neville responding to being in lockdown, and Val writing about the house she is living in right here, right now, including her recent experience of the earthquake! 
                       
Sometimes our monthly topics are rather tricky - 'If only I...' was one of these. Marg McCrohan described her ambivalence about writing on a topic which had caused anxiety and loss of sleep, while Joy reframed the topic by beginning ‘If only I had NOT… I would not have … (positive outcome)’.  Barry’s story could have been titled ‘If only I’d … listened to my parents’.  Ray wrote two captivating vignettes – ‘If only I’d known … (there were 263 steps to the top of the tower)’ and ‘If only I … (hadn’t become distracted)’, while Bev’s story ... 'If only I'd... learned French at School' had a humorous twist.  In a memoir piece written at a deeper level, Michelle shared a moving story ... 'If Only I'd ...stayed with my aunt and uncle'.

It was lovely to welcome Marg Nelson back and to hear her 'Crash', 'Curved Ball' and 'Stock and Land' stories.

Coming up in October, our first topic ‘This (……) Life’ draws upon The Australian Weekend Magazine’s ‘This Life’ story format.   The brief - Write a 500-word story under the broad theme of 'This Life', inserting your theme in brackets in the title as the topic emerges.  Examples in the Weekend Magazine have included ‘This (Downsizing) Life’ by an 80+ year old about planning to farewell loved home; 'This (Number 8) Life’ about growing up as ‘Number 8’ in a family of nine children.  If you are having trouble getting started, check out last year's stories at ​u3abenalla.weebly.com/this-life.   

Our alternative topic is ‘A test of courage’, the brief - ‘Has your courage ever been tested? Tell us a story of your bravery, or when you should have been brave but couldn't summon the courage'.   
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Some additional information:  Has life ever presented you with a situation that forced you to dig deep, to do something that put you at risk? Maybe it was a split-second reaction when you helped someone in harm’s way, or something you deliberated over for years, like a love letter. It could be as personal as telling a friend a difficult truth, or as public as protesting against what you believe is wrong.  What was at stake, and what strengths did you need to draw upon in the face of pain or grief? What did you learn about yourself from doing something that was frightening?

If you would like to read some stories on 'A Test of Courage', here's the link to search results from our home page -  https://u3abenalla.weebly.com/apps/search?q=A+Test+of+Courage.
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It’s taster time – if you would like to join us in October and November, perhaps bringing a story chosen from one of our monthly topics, you are most welcome.

Bev Lee

With only two days notice, we moved from a pilot Zoom meeting in June to a scheduled Zoom session in August.  We had been looking forward to meeting together again in the U3A meeting room, but that wasn't to be!  Zoom actually seems to suit our sessions rather well, as we can follow the stories on screen while the writer is reading their story to us.   

Despite a technical hitch at the beginning, which saw David waiting to join during the break, we had a session rich in story telling and responses from the group.  'Crash' stories were shared by Barry, Ray and David; with 'Stock and Land' stories shared by the two Bev's, Val, Marg McCrohan, and David (about his 'other life' as a shearer), and a thought provoking 'Cringe' story shared by Helen.  There are new stories on the website from Michelle and Elizabeth - 'Crash'; and Marg Nelson's 'Curved Ball'.   

​Being at home, we had an additional activity inspired by Bev's 'show and tell' of a bottle of tomato relish made by Swanpool's Joan Warnock which reminded her of her Grandmother's tomato relish and meals of corned beef with relish from her childhood.  Class members were sent to raid their kitchens, returning to hold up and visually share bottles of preserved lemons, relishes made by friends, home made tomato sauces, yo yo's 'almost as good as my aunt's lamingtons', a cauliflower 'which we always had in Ireland with a salted pork cut'; an old 'knife sharpener used by my father', finishing with Greg's piece de resistance, a bottle of methylated spirits, always used to treat cuts during his childhood, and even now!

With 'Right Here, Right Now' a topic next month, we checked out last year's 'Right Here, Right Now', stories.  With us being once again in a hard lockdown and with most of last August's stories responding to the pandemic during a hard lockdown, even a quick overview of them had quite a powerful effect on us.  If you would like to read them, here's the link - ​u3abenalla.weebly.com/right-here-right-now

Coming up on Monday September 27  '

‘If only I’d…’ Even though we are advised not to dwell on ‘if only’s’… we often do!  Write about an ‘if only’ moment in your life in 500 words, describing the context surrounding it as richly as you can.  Choose something which won’t make you depressed, something you feel you have ‘dealt with’, but at the same time something which shares the impact of even a brief moment in your life

‘Right Here, Right Now’ (R) (F) ‘A time capsule of the present.  Write a story about a situation currently unfolding in your life, right here, right now.’

​Bev Lee

With the sudden lockdown announced yesterday Saturday 21 August, the opportunity to meet together in the U3A room suddenly disappeared!  So - it's on to Plan B and/or Plan C (you choose)!  Plan B is to send your stories to me at bevlee47@gmail.com for sharing on the website as we did in 2020, while Plan C is to send your stories to me at bevlee47@gmail.com and join in a Zoom meeting to read stories through together and provide responses to the story teller in a supportive environment.  

If you would like to join our Zoom session - here is the invitation/link: 

Topic: As Time Goes By August Meeting
Time: Aug 23, 2021 02:00 PM 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9208279060?pwd=L0t4cDQ1YmNkdDEwL3N4UjJFOEhkUT09

Meeting ID: 920 827 9060
Passcode: m2G814

If you would like some help learning to use Zoom, please give me a call on 0478 607 838 or email me on bevlee47@gmail.com.

A reminder of the tomorrow's topics:  

The topic for Monday 23 August is ‘Crash!’ The brief - 'It could be a car crash, it could in fact be any other crash.  Write about a crash, from the sudden moment of impact to its impact on your life, in 500 words.'

A popular topic offered as an alternative in August is ‘Stock and Land’  - 'Tell us about a significant memory involving farming, agriculture or rural life.  You must include mention of at least one animal or crop and one piece of farm equipment.  If you haven’t lived on a farm, you might like to write about a long-remembered visit to or experience of a farm or agriculture, something referencing rural life, ideally set in the northeast.  It could even be about memories of a visit to an agricultural show or about backyard chooks in urban settings.  Write about something you haven’t written about before which you’d like to share with your family and others'.

Coming up on Monday September 27  '

‘If only I’d…’ Even though we are advised not to dwell on ‘if only’s’… we often do!  Write about an ‘if only’ moment in your life in 500 words, describing the context surrounding it as richly as you can.  Choose something which won’t make you depressed, something you feel you have ‘dealt with’, but at the same time something which shares the impact of even a brief moment in your life

‘Right Here, Right Now’ (R) (F) ‘A time capsule of the present.  Write a story about a situation currently unfolding in your life, right here, right now.’

Looking forward to reading your stories and perhaps chatting with you on Zoom!

Best wishes,

​Bev

Back in isolation!  What to do?  We reverted to adding shared stories to a  'collection' posted on the website, as we did during 2020.

Stories on July's topic 'Cringe' are still coming in.  The brief -  ‘Your eyes squint, your cheeks burn red, your teeth grate. Share a personal cringe-worthy tale of woe that you can’t quite forget’.  Stories sent in to date by Elizabeth, Bev Morton, Barry and Margaret have been added to the 'Cringe' story collection on the website -  https://u3abenalla.weebly.com/cringe.

With the possibility of future lockdowns likely, four class members already comfortable with Zoom joined me at short notice to trial an optional 'Zoom' session at our usual time.  Sharing stories on line worked well - Barry's stories featuring 'Hypol', 'Milk of Magnesia' and childhood dentists resulted in hoots of laughter; while Margaret's and Val's stories of cringe-worthy experiences involving feeling humiliated generated squirms of recognition. We all agreed it is  worth working towards offering sessions via Zoom during future lockdowns. 

A list of topics for the remainder of the year has been e-mailed out to class members and is available on the website.  The list includes previous topics too, just in case you missed one or have one you would still like to share.

The topic for Monday 23 August is  ‘Crash!’ The brief - 'It could be a car crash, it could in fact be any other crash.  Write about a crash, from the sudden moment of impact to its impact on your life, in 500 words.'

A popular topic offered as an alternative in August is ‘Stock and Land’  - 'Tell us about a significant memory involving farming, agriculture or rural life.  You must include mention of at least one animal or crop and one piece of farm equipment.  If you haven’t lived on a farm, you might like to write about a long-remembered visit to or experience of a farm or agriculture, something referencing rural life, ideally set in the north east.  It could even be about memories of a visit to an agricultural show or about backyard chooks in urban settings.  Write about something you haven’t written about before which you’d like to share with your family and others'

Stay warm and keep writing,

Bev

We began our June session with Bev introducing the concept of Six Word Memoirs developed by Larry Smith (refer Ted talk below). Bev's six word 'slice of life'...'Ageing, not for the faint hearted'!  Bev asked the class to develop a six word memoir both  before watching the video, then after, with some really perceptive, thought provoking 'six word memoirs' being shared by class members as a result.

All members chose to write about 'A Childhood Experience' this month, with wonderful stories shared evoking memories of learning to ride a bike, a first homes, a treasured day out with a loving grandfather, a child's vivid imagination, hairwashing day with grandma, 'the boogeyman', an Irish childhood, including stories of 'banshee's' and more, a first concert "Peter and the Wolf', Deniliquin childhood memories of floods, dust storms and more; of spending time  with 'my cobber, Uncle Doogie'; not so loving childhood memories with the 'Sisters of Mercy'; and, still to be shared, David's memories of pets with wonderful names and rabbiting with his mate 'Bantam Jim'.  These stories can be read by following this link...'A Childhood Memory'. 

We had some fun thinking about the concept of our next topic ... 'Cringe'... with a few 'aha' moments as people thought of an idea which might work.  The brief -  ‘Your eyes squint, your cheeks burn red, your teeth grate. Share a personal cringe-worthy tale of woe that you can’t quite forget’.  

The alternative topic, recommended for newer class members, is ‘Ideas Piggy Bank’.
 
1) Create/draw upon an ‘Ideas Piggy Bank’ such as a shoe box or other box or drawer containing objects and artefacts that enliven your memories, through scent and feel.  Maps, menus, theatre programs, an old report card, vials of perfume, a garment, treasured photographs, a souvenir, an expired passport can sometimes trigger a work rich with detail.  
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(2) Select two items from the piggy bank as creative prompts – what do they mean to you?  What were you doing, why; what were you thinking at the time this object related to your life?   (250 words for each object)

A list of topics for the year is now available.  It flags the topics for the remaining months, which and can be downloaded from the link below.
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