Sharing Our Life Stories

As one of Nina’s adult education professors used to say, “People is people.” Our backgrounds, our cultures may differ, but we are all human beings. Our basic needs, our emotions are universal. This class is about connections. According to the National Institute of Aging, loneliness increases the risk for dementia by 31 %. In this interactive class we will use open-ended questions to help us share the stories of our lives including our childhoods, our families, our choices, our successes, and our challenges. We will learn about ourselves and each other as we talk about and look back upon what made us who we are today, how we got here, and where we want to go from here. This is a no judgment space. We are here to share, to listen, to learn, and to broaden our understanding of each other. Everyone’s life story is worthwhile. If you enjoy connecting to people on a deeper level, this may be the class for you.

Process: This class will use facilitated interaction to assist participants in the sharing of their life stories. Guidelines will be set at the first class to help create a safe and non-judgmental space. Each week participants will receive ahead of class several open-ended questions to reflect on related to different general categories of life stages and events including, but not limited to, birth and family of origin; cultural settings; social settings and influences; education; choices–work, family, and “adulting,”; historical events and influences; retirement; awareness of self; aging and our future. Participants may use photos, artwork, collages, writing, poetry, or other means of creative expression to aid the telling of their stories if they wish.