Life's Story

It's not unusual for Sue Hill Crowley's students to cry in class. Yet, the North Idaho College instructor thinks that she is the luckiest teacher in the world. She learns as much from her students as they do from her, and her classroom is filled with storytellers and budding writers - none of them famous, but each of them with a lifetime of knowledge and experience to share.

For those enrolled in Autobiography for Older Adults class at NIC, the class is an opportunity to put their life's memories onto paper. From humble childhoods and humorous adventures to poignant tales of illness and loss of loved ones, all are a part of the stories told in the classroom as students encourage and support each other while sharing and writing their own life stories.

The course is based on the pioneering work of James Birren, a gerontologist who has worked with autobiographical groups for more than 25 years. Each week, students in the NIC class write two pages on a specific topic, such as family, life roles, health or work. Writing in small pieces makes the autobiographical process less intimidating, according to Crowley, and each participant leaves the class with nine short stories.

"My father wrote a short, 30-page mini-biography before he passed away, which our kids really like," said Henry Netzer, of Hayden, who took the class last year. "They made me promise to write my version. So the class was an opportunity to start fulfilling that commitment."

Netzer wasn't sure what to expect when he entered the classroom, having not been on a college campus for many years. But after a few classes, Netzer found a kinship like no other he had ever experienced.

"The class was full of people with a lot of grace, wisdom and beauty," Netzer said. "I learned a ton from the members of the class - many of whom were old enough to be my mother - about perseverance, long-suffering, being positive, humor, how to be interested in the lives of others. I learned that autobiography is not just about me, but about how relationships have been meaningful and how they have shaped me, and perhaps, how I was able to shape others."

Crowley said that's just the lesson that she hopes all of her students take with them: That they don't need to have done something extraordinary in their lives to have the desire to write an autobiography. Instead, it is simply life itself that is notable.

"The people in this class are outstanding, each in their own way," Crowley said. "They have lived - raised children, established homes, worked - things that may seem mundane. But each experience they've had in their lives has taught them something. And by reflecting on those experiences, they're able to put onto paper not only who they are, but how they got there."

When Mary Sorenson lost her husband Al to illness, her world was turned upside down. She enrolled in the class as a way of refocusing her energy and putting memories of her and her husband's life onto paper to share with members of her family.

"It was the best timing in the world for me," Sorenson said. "My husband designed our home in the Sanders Beach area and he used to build boats. I wanted my son to know that about him - to know the details of his childhood."

While she knew the class would be therapeutic for her while she grieved the loss of her husband, she didn't realize she would gain so many friends in the process.

"Everyone was so supportive of each other," Sorenson said. "We laughed together, and sometimes cried together."

Sorenson enjoyed the class so much, she decided to enroll again this spring. She hopes to learn from a new group of students whose knowledge and experience can improve her writing, and her life, through their friendship and support.

Individuals take this class for a variety of reasons, said Crowley's co-teacher Kathy Hostetter. Some wish to leave a legacy behind, while others are simply recording history. Many participants are hoping to learn about themselves or come to terms with things that have happened in their lives.

"The importance of this class is being able to tell your stories - to be heard the way you intend the story to be told and believed - is part of what creates a patchwork quilt of your family history," Hostetter said.

Hostetter and Crowley stress to their students and those interested in enrolling that there have never been celebrities in their class. But every life story has value and is important to tell.

"I think most of all, I learned an acceptance of myself, a confidence that my story has meaning and significance," Netzer said. "Also, that there is growth through the telling of our narrative - just getting it out is a form of affirmation."

North Idaho College will offer another section of the Autobiography for Older Adults class in the fall. Because the college offers a tuition discount to older adults through the College for Your Lifetime program, the cost for the class is $30.

Netzer, who said he has always had a knack for creating corny poems, enjoyed using his poetry to entertain the class and wrote this to encourage others to enroll:

"Be bold, take the step. It's only 30 bucks.

"Remember that the worst outcome is you leave and say 'Aw, Shucks.'

"The toughest thing about the class is trying to park your car.

"The greatest insight is looking back and seeing you've walked far.

"Your story is what's been poured inside and others need to hear.

"Sue's great, the class is fun. So you've nothing to fear."

Registration for new students begins in June.

Information: 769-3279

Stacy Hudson is public information coordinator at North Idaho College.