“A memoir captures a meaningful slice of life - a memory, a lesson, or an experience that stands out"
The sudden passing of Kathy Beattie
From my email to class“… I have some news which I’m finding so very sad and so hard to believe. Kathy Beattie, who just five days before had shared her story of adapting to computers over time with us, passed away suddenly at St James on Saturday 26 July. Kathy joined ‘As Time Goes By’ group as a ‘taster’ in October last year after hearing about it from ATGB class member James Davey. Immediately engaging with the group, Kathy’s first story, ‘Steep Learning Curve’, reflected on her experience engaging her community then shepherding the acclaimed St James Silo Art project to completion. Kathy was so looking forward to building up her collection of stories for her family and completing her mother’s story. We will miss her. Kathy’s funeral will be held at St Cuthbert’s Anglican Church, 41-43 Piper Street, Yarrawonga on Thursday 14 August from 11am to 12pm.”
The sadness came particularly from a place of knowing that Kathy had wanted to finish her ‘Mum’s story’, that in two stories she had mentioned wanting to find more time to write and finish long cherished projects. However, I felt better when I read her last email, sent on 19th July… “Hi Bev, See you Monday, Kathy. P.S. I have progressed with My Mother’s Story. My brother visited the other day and I let him read an unedited version. He laughed, giggled and enjoyed it so much he has offered to pay for the printing on completion. I was more interested in his reaction as the oldest member of the family. He said it brought back so many memories of happier and sad times. And he immediately rang a cousin to tell him that our history is being written, and he hoped he lived long enough to see it published. So, I had better get on with it. K”
Particularly poignant for me over the last few days is not receiving an email with a bright note and story from Kathy …and what do I write on the roll today….RIP Kathy.
Website contacts – two this month – past ATGB member David Lowing wrote a story in 2018 about his family in Deniliquin which is included in his consolidated ATGB/Family Research page. An old friend found David’s story and they are now in touch. Then I was out with Delfina in Violet Town talking to someone we both know who mentioned that he’d read one of Delfina’s stories relating to her early life in Italy on the website!
The sudden passing of Kathy Beattie
From my email to class“… I have some news which I’m finding so very sad and so hard to believe. Kathy Beattie, who just five days before had shared her story of adapting to computers over time with us, passed away suddenly at St James on Saturday 26 July. Kathy joined ‘As Time Goes By’ group as a ‘taster’ in October last year after hearing about it from ATGB class member James Davey. Immediately engaging with the group, Kathy’s first story, ‘Steep Learning Curve’, reflected on her experience engaging her community then shepherding the acclaimed St James Silo Art project to completion. Kathy was so looking forward to building up her collection of stories for her family and completing her mother’s story. We will miss her. Kathy’s funeral will be held at St Cuthbert’s Anglican Church, 41-43 Piper Street, Yarrawonga on Thursday 14 August from 11am to 12pm.”
The sadness came particularly from a place of knowing that Kathy had wanted to finish her ‘Mum’s story’, that in two stories she had mentioned wanting to find more time to write and finish long cherished projects. However, I felt better when I read her last email, sent on 19th July… “Hi Bev, See you Monday, Kathy. P.S. I have progressed with My Mother’s Story. My brother visited the other day and I let him read an unedited version. He laughed, giggled and enjoyed it so much he has offered to pay for the printing on completion. I was more interested in his reaction as the oldest member of the family. He said it brought back so many memories of happier and sad times. And he immediately rang a cousin to tell him that our history is being written, and he hoped he lived long enough to see it published. So, I had better get on with it. K”
Particularly poignant for me over the last few days is not receiving an email with a bright note and story from Kathy …and what do I write on the roll today….RIP Kathy.
Website contacts – two this month – past ATGB member David Lowing wrote a story in 2018 about his family in Deniliquin which is included in his consolidated ATGB/Family Research page. An old friend found David’s story and they are now in touch. Then I was out with Delfina in Violet Town talking to someone we both know who mentioned that he’d read one of Delfina’s stories relating to her early life in Italy on the website!
Life Changing .... Advice and other stories...
Found on Facebook - from Estia Health in last year's Older Person's week....
Icebreaker - I need some ‘Advice’ …. Each month when I write the newsletter report I’m faced with two dilemmas – one is the size of the report, as the limit is 350 apart from those in which the class members contribution is recorded, when it is grudgingly 500 words; (there are various ways we can do this, but we have enjoyed writing a short synthesis for each person)… The other dilemma, whether you approve of what I’ve written is the kernel of your story; as I know I can always alter mine – when Graham was doing the reports, I’d have to say I did this on occasion if I thought it wasn’t quite right, and his reports were marvellous! - "Discuss!"
This month’s stories – the underpinning theme linking them is ‘Life Changing’…
‘Advice’
Tell us about one piece of advice that’s stuck with you, perhaps even been life changing in some way. It could be a famous quote or proverb, something your mum told you, or helpful words from a stranger. Did you follow the advice, or wished you had? Did it help or lead you astray?
(A topic from 2017 - see for example Bev's story 'Advice'
‘Emergence’
Interpret this theme as you choose, whether it’s a story of emerging fully into your true self, or an event arising in the narrative of your life. (Topic adapted from the SBS Emerging Writers Competition Topic 2022)
'How We Met'
‘Our best friends, neighbours, partners, lovers were all strangers once. Tell us how you met a kindred spirit and what the relationship means or meant to you, how it changed your life in some way. (A topic from 2018 - see for example Neville's stories 'How We Met #1' (Neville) 'How We Met #2')
Catch up stories - Barry O’Connor ‘My First Car’
Next session - September 15 - Theme ‘Transitions’ - Two topics – ‘Retirement’ suggested for newer class members as it’s often fresh in our memories, and ‘It was time for a change …(you only live once).’
‘Retirement’
Retirement is a transition which can be quite complex, involve a range of losses, may be dreaded, involve celebrations and be looked forward to, indeed all of the above! … Share the story of your retirement from a role which was important to you at some stage of your life – how did you negotiate it? How did you feel about the transition at the time? How do you feel about it now? (Don’t forget, as with other stories, ‘Retirement’ stories do not need to be included on the website—people involved may still be alive!).
‘It was time for a change … ‘ …(you only live once!)
‘It was time for a change’ * Write about a time when you realised you were ready for a change and about how you acted upon it. Perhaps it was a case of realizing that ‘you only live once’, perhaps a little less overwhelming. A chance to look back and reflect upon your decision at the time and its impact upon you and your family.
(*Inspired by a story on ABC News about a couple deciding to walk away from a farm…)
A reminder about
This month’s stories – the underpinning theme linking them is ‘Life Changing’…
‘Advice’
Tell us about one piece of advice that’s stuck with you, perhaps even been life changing in some way. It could be a famous quote or proverb, something your mum told you, or helpful words from a stranger. Did you follow the advice, or wished you had? Did it help or lead you astray?
(A topic from 2017 - see for example Bev's story 'Advice'
‘Emergence’
Interpret this theme as you choose, whether it’s a story of emerging fully into your true self, or an event arising in the narrative of your life. (Topic adapted from the SBS Emerging Writers Competition Topic 2022)
'How We Met'
‘Our best friends, neighbours, partners, lovers were all strangers once. Tell us how you met a kindred spirit and what the relationship means or meant to you, how it changed your life in some way. (A topic from 2018 - see for example Neville's stories 'How We Met #1' (Neville) 'How We Met #2')
Catch up stories - Barry O’Connor ‘My First Car’
Next session - September 15 - Theme ‘Transitions’ - Two topics – ‘Retirement’ suggested for newer class members as it’s often fresh in our memories, and ‘It was time for a change …(you only live once).’
‘Retirement’
Retirement is a transition which can be quite complex, involve a range of losses, may be dreaded, involve celebrations and be looked forward to, indeed all of the above! … Share the story of your retirement from a role which was important to you at some stage of your life – how did you negotiate it? How did you feel about the transition at the time? How do you feel about it now? (Don’t forget, as with other stories, ‘Retirement’ stories do not need to be included on the website—people involved may still be alive!).
‘It was time for a change … ‘ …(you only live once!)
‘It was time for a change’ * Write about a time when you realised you were ready for a change and about how you acted upon it. Perhaps it was a case of realizing that ‘you only live once’, perhaps a little less overwhelming. A chance to look back and reflect upon your decision at the time and its impact upon you and your family.
(*Inspired by a story on ABC News about a couple deciding to walk away from a farm…)
A reminder about
- incorporating reflection on the impact on you of the experiences you are writing about. This can be subtle, can be strategically placed, can always be in the conclusion. It can be in a very short first sentence and or in a pithy or otherwise reflective final sentence, or, of course, anywhere in between.
- keeping focused on the slice of life you are writing about. Usually when you craft your story so that it is within 500 words you don’t stray off onto other themes and lose focus. However, the more words you write, the more likely this is to happen.
- creating a key sentence for your story to help to retain focus... 'This is a story about ...’. A key sentence is a tool to refer back to if you find you've meandered delightfully, but perhaps irrelevantly, off to write about a barely related memory. Revisiting what ‘This story is about…’ can help you to decide what stays and what goes. (You can always ‘park’ part, even all, of a story which you’re not happy with for possible use one day).
- self-care … a reminder that sometimes telling a story you think you have achieved ‘closure’ on can still lead to tears…
