Today we attended our weekly Friday morning writing session, a gathering of 12-20 elderly folk who enjoy setting words on paper in a relaxed and trouble-free way. It always amazes me that their writings (which all of us usually read aloud to the group) are so detailed and seemingly smooth, as though these are seasoned, well-trained writers instead of just retirees who have stories to tell. Today we heard from a woman whose first job was as a 12-year-old in Iowa in the 40's, walking down endless rows of corn picking off the tassels so a better kind of corn could be grown. Her sentences seemed smooth-flowing and free of self-consciousness, as did those of another woman who simply listed perhaps 40 different jobs she had had in her long life. As usual, it was a pleasure to sit quietly and listen to the always-varied stories, and it was a pleasure, I think, for both of us to write and share our stories as well. 

"Hot and Hazy Summer Morning, Old Lyme, CT"
by Roxanne Steed
(http://roxannesteed.blogspot.com)