A Job Completed, with satisfaction

Pheww! a job completed and it turned our well.  I have finished and launched (at a party Wednesday) the edition of Reflections 2014, the anthology of the Academy of Lifelong Learning.  An attractive book with the  above shell photo on its cover and the name "A rose by another name..." Yes, it's mine. And in the book the found art of this mandala made of shells and horseshoe crab shells that I discovered on the beach one day. The book has approximately 80  pieces of poetry and prose and several photos,  some by A.L.L. members, some copyright free stock photos. It's a true reflection of the thoughts and concerns, creativity and philosophy of this group of students who are all over 55 and many in the area of 70 years old. There is a piece by our oldest student, Nancy, who writes what it's like to be a nonagenarian and ends with "I am not only content, I am happy."  We all wish we could reach her age and say the same thing. As editor I had a committee of women and one man concerned with making the writing grammatically up to snuff wiht any professional publication although many of the writers haven't given a thought to the correct usage of commas or hyphens for some fifty years. Then, we were concerned with arranging the work with a sense of flow, and all the while wanting each page to be attractive and readable. No, it's not quite professional quality but it's pretty close. I'm proud of it and the audience at the launch party were complimentary.

I think back to starting a high school newsletter when I was 16 and had just learned to type. A two-page publication.  I am not a journalist, I am a writer who happens to believe the written word should be should be shared, that groups have something to say to one another and to the broader
community.  I enjoyed this job and I'm happy with the results.