Therein lies
the beauty of becoming a storyteller. Surely, the retelling can be done by doing so in front of family and friends, especially with nonverbals
that accentuate the highlights. I could have easily relied on my Toastmasters experience had I
gone that route. However, I prefer to retell silently on paper, more privately,
more for all time.
Not an Easy Road
in the Beginning
It wasn’t
easy at first, I come from a world of left brains. From a degree in BS Mathematics
and a career in computers, it was hard trying to wake up the right side of my
brain. My experience consisted of proofs of theorems, business papers, theses, and dissertations. My first
book Carolina: Cruising to an American Dream came about only as a compilation of
the daily journals I kept as we RVed across North America.
The other
problem is that English is not my native tongue. I was born in the slums of
Manila, acquiring basic English skills through scholarships at the
International School for high school, the National Science Development
Board for college, and at the multinational companies I joined. Tagalog has a
very different syntax from English. When my husband edited my work during my early
writing days, he returned pages red with corrections.
But It Has
Become Better
But my
writing has improved. After all, I have been writing for thirteen years now.
But there’s still that limited flair for idiomatic, local English, that which
is spoken in the streets and homes of America. That’s why I have the TV on the
whole day so I can continuously imbibe by hearing. Unfortunately, it drives
Bill away because I prefer to stay in the more spacious and brighter sunroom
than my office. But that is all TMI.
Wanting to tell stories better led
me to take the pains to photograph better images. Pictures are worth a thousand
words and their combination with words makes the reliving a whole lot better. Years after they happened, it's as if they were happening before my very eyes all over again.
Creating More
Depth
There is much I have shared from our exploration of the world but my time here is ever becoming shorter. Now that we are traveling less, I have more time to wonder about our wanderings. Thus, I am the major beneficiary, reaping the benefits of having documented our travels.
One by one, as I relive each story, I evoke more feelings and thoughts, sifting through the insights gained and lessons learned. I have found new things to write about. Since shifting gears, around my turning 70, I have crafted more travel essays than journals. It enabled me to publish my second book, Cruising Past 70. It’s Not Only about Outer Journeys. It’s also about Inner Ones, a compilation of my essays and best-read stories.
After I turned 75 last November, I am refining and resharing even those inner journeys. I guess it's part of being older and gaining more wisdom. While spending hours traveling from our “armchairs” or musing from our “rocking” chairs, we learn even more, helping loved ones more.
