You Never Know February 20, 08

Today you never know what is ahead of you. Life use to be more simple. After growing up most people married young, had children and retired between age 62 and 65 and usually lived in the same house for many years. Ed and I followed this pattern very closely. In the year of 1989 after we retired we were not very happy knowing we had to relocate after thirty three years. Being retired we could live anywhere. Ed looked for the best buy he could find where ever it was. The house that we both liked for the price was located in Bel Air, an area we knew nothing about. I did like knowing it was a little closer to my sisters and later our youngest son and his family moved near by and that made us happy.

I was 62 years old, retired from a job I loved and wondered if the best part of my life was over. At least we could still travel, but that was about once a year with a few short trips in between. I needed something to fill in the rest of the year. That’s how I learned that you never know what’s ahead of you. I thought Bel Air was a lay back remote little town with farmers and hard working no nonsense people. The folks I met were very friendly, but I was surprised to find so many above average interesting people in this small town.

Ed was more out going then me. He checked out the senior center. I wasn’t quite sure if I was ready to join an old age club. I was already having trouble accepting my station in life. Then Ed decided to join a computer class at Harford Community College and later joined an exercise class. He was happy to be a student again. After a few years I gave in and decided to check out the senior center. I chose a ceramic class, then a quilting and craft class.

I learned a lot, but I wasn’t quite satisfied. Each time I saw the memoir writing class listed I would think I don’t know enough about writing to consider it, but then I remembered how much I enjoyed writing letters during the war. If this class didn’t work for me I could quit. On my first visit I knew this was what I was looking for. Many of the stories were about growing up, life experiences and travel. Some of the members were retired nurses, teachers and service people.

At that time I remember there were only two men in the class. One was our instructor Al Morey and the other was Fred Jacobs who was born in Germany long before World War ll. There was a lady who taught school in Egypt and another one who lived in Morocco for a few years and a retired army nurse from the Vietnam War. As time went on more men joined the class. During my time in class I met a retired psychiatrist, lawyer and semi retired judge. Once a new lady arrived and when asked about her deceased husband she said he was an army general. She became so inspired about writing her memoirs that she later wrote a book.

There was a lady from Norway and one from Germany and we heard stories about both countries. Some wrote beautiful poetry. All the stories were interesting even the one about a family kitchen table and how it was the center of gatherings for everything. I learned the more you write the better you get. In time you can see how to improve and be more descriptive, but best of all you are leaving behind a written legacy.

Audrey Teal Kaminski


Famous residents of Belair, Maryland

John Wilkes Booth -- American stage actor and assassin of President Abraham Lincoln.
Edwin Thomas Booth -- Brother of John Wilkes Booth, son of Junius Brutus Booth. Considered one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of the 1800s.
Augustus Bradford -- 32nd Governor of Maryland, 1862 - 1866.
Cigar -- Champion Racehorse
Blaze Foster -- Actor The Brave One, Wifey
Julienne Irwin -- contestant in America's Got Talent, a nationally broadcast talent show
Kimmie Meisner -- Figure Skating Olympian, 2006 World Champion & 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Champion
Jay Witasick -- Pitcher for Tampa Bay Rays