There are people who collect things such as Royal Doulton figurines, ornamental spoons, stamps, dolls, pottery or any number of items. After visiting a few such people, I wondered what it is that I collect. I looked around my house and none of my possessions really amounted to a 'collection' except of course, for books. I never got rid of the books that I liked and I do like a lot of the ones I own.

I've realized that I am actually a collector of 'experience'. Yes, I'm comfortable knowing this. The process of collecting is quite simple. I have an experience and it becomes something to savour, to relish and even embellish. I store the experiences in my memory and display them in my story-telling either, verbally or else in the writing of them. People view, comment and sometimes, even, praise. My collection is valuable but not always fun to maintain. Sometimes, the maintenance of it is even painful and hard work. Still, I'm happy for the collection. It's a large part of who I am!

Other stuff about me:
I like writing mostly fictiion, short stories to be exact but I can tackle essays, short articles and the likes.
My educational background is diverse. I have worked in industry as well as educational institutions for many years and while working, studied and acquired an undergraduate degree - B.A. in International Development.
My hobbies are also varied. I like reading, writing, cooking, gardening and playing piano.
The arts and crafts interest me as well. I have tried my hand at stained glass making and turned out some pretty good pieces.

My passion is ...

understanding and nurturing people

I know too much about ...

what it is that makes me tick

My parents always told me ...

that hard work pays off

My childhood ambition ...

to travel and experience foreign cultures

My favorite memory ...

walking on a sandy beach and collecting beautiful shells of varying shapes and sizes

Why I write ...

there are many stories within me dying to make their way on to a page

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

I'm reading Garcia Marquez' Love in the Time of Cholera, I saw Juno lately and loved it, I'm listening to the music of Ray Charles (soundtrack from Ray)

My first job ...

I worked for a Seamstress who made exclusive and exquisite wedding apparel. My job was to add embellishments to the gowns. I sewed delicate beads onto the bodices of gowns and sometimes, lace and ribbons.

My best moment ...

My siblings and I (brother 11, sister 6 and myself, 10) were on vacation at a private beach resort. One night, my parents allowed us to sleep on the beach among tall palms. We looked through the variegated leaves of the palms at the night sky. It's a memory that remains with me to this day...

My inspiration ...

God, my family and my friends

Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: Saying good-bye

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The year was 1961, we were both 19, and we had been to so many dances together. He always asked me to dance the first and last dance. So, why wouldn't I assume that he was my boyfriend? We held hands on the way home and he walked me to the door of my parent's apartment. So, why wouldn't I think we were made for each other? Some would say, did you become intimate? If they're asking, did we have sex? No, we didn't. We didn't even kiss but he held me pretty close to him when we danced the last dance so, I just assumed that we were intimate.

The test came when I had to break some new...

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