Six Word Memoir and Meetings

Recently NPR ran a story about writing your six word memoir. What a great idea! And the question was not "Would I write one?" But "What would I write?"

Now you should know that I wrote my epitaph a number of years ago. I have been carrying it around in my calendar or wallet just to remind my husband and son of what I requested. Likewise, my husband has informed me to forget it! He didn't want it on the headstone we may share. But here, for your information, is what I requested! And who knows, perhaps one of them will pay to put it in my newspaper obituary:

Here lies Ida Baumgarth Swenson.
Her hands are folded and her eyes are shut.
It hasn't been often she's stayed put,
But if she now could send you greeting,
She'd say, "I'm only asleep at another meeting!"

I thought it was really appropriate and I think I wrote it way back when I was on the Greene School Board... even though I only slept at ONE board meeting... and several outside meetings as Mike D'Angelo will tell you. And they were brief nods with no snoring... more than I can say for Bible study now on occasion. HEY! I have an excuse!! I have sleep apnea. I do remember once telling friends visiting at my apartment in 1972 to turn out the lights and lock up as they left. lol. They were great sports about it. All I'm saying is, if the meeting is after 7 PM, don't turn down the lights our I'm gone. Some people think I'm very constructive doing my embroidery during the local Board of Directors' meetings, but that's the best way to avoid snoring during them. All I'm saying is that it's a good thing I'm retired now and many of my meetings are in the daytime.

Now that we establish that I still go to a lot of meetings, back to the memoir. Hmmm. Of course my memoir will include teaching! That's the love of my life (along with Jesus and my family). Are you ready?

STILL TEACHING WITH JESUS' LOVE

Apologies to all for only using five words. I have often told my students/friends/acquaintances that the day I stop teaching or making mistakes, you should be watching the papers for my obituary. If you are wondering about the strange picture that came with this, it is me teaching pre-schoolers at the discovery center here before Christmas.