By Laura Lane
Glick is a Merrick resident, though you don¹t have to be to take the workshop. He¹s been taking it since it started some 23 years ago. ³I¹m sorry it¹s only 13 weeks a year,² he said. ³Every year the group gets better and better.²
Helen-Marie Keogh, Hempstead Town¹s program development supervisor, started the program because she saw an interest in seniors to write. ³You never know what hidden talents people have,² she said. ³Their writing is very sophisticated and the group itself is tight-knit because they share their experiences.²
People don¹t need to be experienced writers to attend the workshop. Instructor Paula Rodenas, of Merrick, said she always sees progress regardless of how new members are to writing. ³The seniors have talent and motivation and in spite of their age, they continue to improve,² said Rodenas, who added that several members have been taking the workshop for years. ³I think the class keeps their minds active which helps them to stay young.²
Marie Drescher, an East Meadow resident, believes coming to the workshop for the last 10 years changed her. ³I think I¹m able to express myself better as a result of coming to this group,² she said. ³And coming here helps keep me young. It¹s positive and stimulates your brain, which hopefully makes you more interesting.²
Glick said members enjoy not only writing but also sharing their life stories. ³It¹s a psychological dream like group therapy,² he said. ³I¹ve watched new widows come out of their doldrums here when they see that there are willing ears that will accept them. And the writing is amazing.²
Rodenas said everyone enjoys presenting their work at the last workshop held each year at The Stage theater. They invite their friends and family, who provide an audience for the seniors as they read the works they¹ve created at the workshop. Then in the fall, each member¹s work is represented in "Musings of Maturity," a book the town publishes.
³There¹s only one group like this in Nassau County for seniors,² Rodenas said. ³At most senior centers, people go to socialize and don¹t have the motivation to write. For some reason this group clicked. They always want to write.²
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