One of the great things about being in a new community is learning things from new people we’re meeting. Today we went to a birthday celebration for August birthdays. Ev was invited because his birthday was July 20, and we had just moved in. We had the pleasure of meeting a retired dentist, ninety years old, who was seated by himself. We enjoyed talking with him. At the beginning, he seemed to want to be by himself, but after short bits of conversation, we learned about this amazing man.
He spent his life career as a dentist, but said he enjoys doing little or nothing now. He was a very busy community person: school board, president of several local service groups, and world traveler. He and his wife were RV’ers and traveled as well. He has so many great-grandchildren he doesn’t even know all their names, and told us story after story about his long and eventful life. What a good time we had at lunch.
I told the staff here I’d like to teach a class about memoir writing. He’s the kind of person who has much to tell, and I’m sure there are many others as well. My dream is to publish stories about the people we’re meeting her at Glenbrooke and their life experiences. I’m sure it would make fascinating reading.
I took another new friend of mine with me to Magnolias this morning. This is a group of ladies who have met together for breakfast for some thirty years. They’ve raised their children together, and now are raising and praying for their grandchildren as well. My friend is new to the community and had a delightful time sharing her experiences as well. She has traveled widely and felt right at home with this lovely group of women.
Tomorrow the school year begins for our teacher daughter and son and daughter-in-love. They will be looking at new adventures with the staff and students they interact with. When we think about it, community is so very important. People enrich each other, and every day can be a new experience if we’re looking to interact with people. What a delight it is to share experiences and to see how people have become who they are. I’m appreciating these opportunities.
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