Thursday, March 15, 2007

What Writing Does

This is the last week of my PCLOWC! I can hardly bear it and realize some may find it startling that I can feel so passionate about the lives and writings of these nine women whom I have never met face to face.

The site message board is "lit up" with posts about our future goals and promises of staying in touch. It is much like the end-of-the-school-year flurry as seniors pledge to never forget one another -- to stay in touch -- to return to visit -- to write. Their words are honest, and their intentions are good, but having been a teacher for a long time, I know it won't be as they picture it.

New adventures bring new settings, new friends, new concerns, new commitments. Some of them will follow through for a time; many will not follow through at all. That is just the way life is. Some of us are participating in an advanced parent-lit class, so that helps ease my sadness, but still it won't be exactly the same.

I used to ask my students at the end of the year, "All of us will never be together in this place, this way, ever again. Don't you feel a bit sad? "

They would all stare at me and then respond in a unison, "No!" I would smile at their lack of sentiment -- especially knowing I am the queen of nostalgia.

Still, that is how I feel this evening. I have a vested interest in each of these women. I can't help it. We have written together, and that is what writing does.

5 comments:

Ms. Creant said...

Awww, Kathy! You've triggered my nostalgia too!

Violeta said...

What a beautiful post! I feel the same way.

Daphne said...

I can be a nostalgia queen, too, even though I fight it. Thanks for putting into words what I think we all are feeling.

Anonymous said...

(HONK!) That's me, loudly blowing my nose. Thanks for that post, Kathy. Ditto from me.

Caroline said...

Oh, Kathy, what a lovely post. I feel the same way.