In these days of preparation for 2025, it might be a good thing, it seems to me, to assess where we are and where we’re going. To make it a bit personal, this morning I am preparing materials for my new You Are Unique Memoir Writing class at Glenbrooke Senior Center. For those of you reading my blog or post for the first time, I have taught a class since early January 2024 for writers, most of whom never in a million years would have called themselves authors, but who have written three anthologies of their work this year. It has been a joy to see them go from writing a few words in response to picture cues, to writing entire stories and pieces on all kinds of themes and ideas. What an amazing journey we have had. On Monday morning, December 16, these writers will have their third Book Signing party in the Clubhouseto the past and to the future. He’s the one, supposedly, for whom January is named, although some sources say the month was named after a real person. Whatever. Janus is portrayed as one head with two faces–one to the left (backward) and one to the right (forward). He was supposedly a gatekeeper who controlled past and future because he could see both. Memoir is usually looking back at things we’ve experienced and trying to make sense out of where we’ve been up to this point in our lives. Looking to the future is a little more thought-provoking. What are the things we’d still like to accomplish. How can we apply the glimpses of the future, perhaps like the children’s book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go.
Some call them resolutions. That sounds a bit contractual to me, like we are determined, resolved, to do these things. By March or so, if that long at all, I personally have failed at most of them in the past. But, it’s good to have a roadmap, a plan, a vague, or even well-thought out plan, to guide our thoughts and give shape to our dreams. Just as we prepare for a trip, deciding what to keep, what to leave behind, so we can use this idea to set ourselves up for success as we go forward. It can be simple things like: get more vitamin D by getting outside more often and enjoying nature, or cutting out calories by rejecting the bread or the sweets, or regulating our bedtimes and enjoying early morning activities oncer again, or regularly studying scripture and seeking quiet times during the day for reflection and prayer.
Perhaps we need to develop friendships, check on those who are lonely, or be diligent about doing something other than watching television ads with other tidbits tossed in. It’s amazing there are up to fifty ads an hour on TV and more on our phones. These are major distractions, time wasters. While our muscles wane, our brains drain. There’s got to be something better. At least we could write cards for children or vets in hospitals, or color picture cards to put on patients’ trays in hospitals or nursing homes, or invite someone to lunch, or shop for a shut-in. Or perhaps, you, like others in my sphere, you could join a writing group and become an author! I can teach you how. Mondays from 2:00-3:00 at Glenbrooke’s Clubhouse. If you’re local, come join us. Your materials are prepared.
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