Every Person Has a Story
We’ve all heard that, but how often do we consider the stories of the people we encounter each day, stories that remain unspoken because no occasion to share them arises? And should such an occasion present itself, how much closer would people feel after listening to one another? What worlds would open up? What things would we learn?
My quest to hear other people's stories began a year ago when as a resident of an apartment complex in Nocatee, Fl. I saw a need for people to find a way to connect and to get to know each other on a level more than saying "hi" in passing. I really believed that in getting to know one another, we would form a community .
The management was gracious enough to allow me to establish a forum entitled “Getting to Know You,” I interviewed one residents at a time asking them to tell us a bit about their lives, hobbies, adventures and more. We invited other residents to attend and before long our audience grew from 5 or 6 people to 45 people. All interested in learning about one another.
It didn't take long to realize we were on to something. I contacted the editor of the Ponte Vedra Recorder and asked him if he felt this was a human interest story worthy of a feature story. To my delight, he loved the idea. Since then, whenever we have a resident guest speaking, I send a press release to the Recorder and Shaun Ryan, the editor, has printed each one of them.
The program has received such a positive reaction that we are now expanding "Getting to Know You with Paula to the community at large. I will be doing feature articles on interesting seniors in and around the Ponte Vedra area. I hope you will follow along both on my web page and in The Ponte Vedra Recorder. It is an honor and a privilege to get to know these fascinating people. My hope is that you enjoy it as much as I do.
Comments and Suggestions are always welcomed. If you or someone you know would like to be considered for inclusion in this forum, please let me know.