About a month ago, I had a chat with two fellow writers, Nitasha and Nancy, that I worked with, in Mumbai, India, six years ago. While teaching there, we were members of the same writing group. This conversation sparked memories of our groups' prompts, fellow writers' pieces, and, most importantly, the community that was grown from this shared experience. During our conversation, Nitasha invited us to join her in this year's Two Writing Teachers' SOL challenge.
Instantly I signed up. No reflection. No wondering if I could have the stamina to write for 31 days. No doubts. There was a reason for my instantaneous sign-up. At the time, I was unaware, but a silent signal flashed in the frontal lobe of my brain. I was desperately craving to write with a community.
Thirty-one days later, I've realized that the writing community Nancy started six years ago has created a cycle of sorts. Now bear with me.
1. The group that Nancy originally formed and led was passed onto Nitasha and me.
2. When we left our school, I assumed the writing group ended, but like all cycles, it didn't. Two of our colleagues took the reigns and continue to facilitate the group.
3. Surprisingly, six years later, plus or minus a few months, Nitasha reached out and invited me here.
Our "old" writing group never really ended. It was just the beginning. At times our members, myself included, hibernated, but like bears, we seem to possess chemical reactions within our brains that deploy a silent signal that it's time to write again. I emerged from my writing den to share in this year's SOL writing challenge, all thanks to my original writing group, which began 8,000 miles and six years away from here.
Thanks to all the slicers who joined this year's challenge, which, as many of you have stated along the way, has been more of a challenge than usual. Your commitment and encouragement are appreciated and have inspired me.
Thank you to the Two Writing Teachers team for building this community and encouraging us to write and share.
Thanks to my Welcome Wagon driver, cheerleader, and nudger, Glenda, whose big change in her plans swerved her into this role and seat, and I'll be ever grateful for her expertise.
And finally, thanks to Nitasha for this invitation.
Looking forward to SOL21. Stay well and safe.
Meg, the fates smiled on me when you and another sliver landed in my Welcome Wagon. Sometimes those new to the challenge never reciprocate when it comes to commenting, but you have become an important part of my writing community here both through your posts and through your reciprocation. I taught speech and dual credit communication classes as well as English before retiring last August, and I often told students we can’t have a one-way conversation. I love the way words come full circle and connect us. It makes me think of echoes among texts in literature (intertextuality, if you will). The more we write, the more the circle expands. I’ll see you next Tuesday and hope to see you writing poetry starting tomorrow. Be well and happy. Peace.
ReplyDeleteI wondered how 8000 miles and 6 years ago fit into all this, haha. I enjoyed your explanation! Thanks for sharing. :-) ~JudyK
ReplyDeleteI was also part of your welcome wagon although I never fully introduced myself...I think I commented on most of your posts, but as I'd never done it before, I wasn't sure if I was meant to actually introduce myself. I've enjoyed reading your background of how you got to be here and I'm currently running a school across the other side of the country from where you were in Mumbai, so we have a connection.
ReplyDeleteHopefully we continue to connect if you decide to slice weekly, meantime I've enjoyed reading (almost all ) your posts!