Janet Cohen Consulting, LLC

Archive for the ‘Hurricane’ Category

I never thought I’d be old enough to write a memoir, but that has recently changed. Now I realize that I have an important story to tell at any age, and I started writing it.

Three months ago I took a writing workshop with Natalie Goldberg, and I’ve been consistently working on my book ever since. Yesterday I recorded 25,835 words with NaNoWriMo and I’m still working on my book.

The Galveston County Daily News did a story that includes my participation in the writing contest. The newspaper also mentioned my upcoming writing group that begins on 1/1/11, and they included a link to my web site for more information. Hats off to GCDN.  See details on the Power of Writing Practice at www.janetcohenconsulting.com.

My memoir will be published in 2011. On the surface it looks like a book about Hurricane Ike, but it is more than that.  Though Ike is the throughline, it’s not just another timeline with stories about how awful the storm was.  My book is more about the generosity of the human spirit and the silver linings that arise when people are genuinely evoked to do something for others. It is a story about philanthropy, community building and hope. At times you’ll laugh and at times you may shed a tear or two, especially when you read how the storm impacted my daughter.

A second throughline in the book is the relationship between loss and prior losses.   This will be rich with information for people in helping professions who counsel people in grief.  More to come.

Years ago, I wanted to write a memoir about AIDS/HIV because I was so impacted by it in the 1980’s and early 1990’s.  By the time I was 35 years old I had lost more friends than I had years in my lifetime, so I stopped counting deaths.  It’s been nearly 20 years since then.  I’m still impacted, but to a lesser degree.  And yet, I publish this post on World AIDS Day.

So I ask you.  How old do you have to be to write a memoir?  And if you are courageous enough to write one, what would it be about, besides your life?

I’ve been thinking a lot about Hurricane Ike recovery these days. On the two year anniversary since the storm, I wonder how people are doing, really.

There are some responses like, “We’re glad to be back, but we’re still innundated with stuff to do.” And others say they’re still reeling from some of the bureaucracy. Still, others talk about how difficult times are, how they’ve accrued what seems like endless debt, and how business has not been the same since the storm (unless they own a series of large hotels or restaurant chains along the Seawall).

I wonder how the average person is doing, two years later. Are you still having flashbacks of stuff on your lawn? 

How has Ike enriched (yes, enriched) your life?  For example, I now know that I can live with a lot less stuff than I had before Ike. I call that an enriching experience.

How are you still dealing with the after-effects? Are you working as much? Are you still unpacking? Do you still have nightmares? Are you closer with your neighbors if you’ve moved back to the island? Are you living on the mainland now, or farther?  How has your professional life changed?  How have your children changed?

And if you weren’t personally affected, how was your life touched by Ike?  Do you even remember it, or does Hurricane Katrina still stand out for you as the worst one?

If you had one piece of advice for people who need to evacuate before a storm, what would it be?

Share your story. I, for one, want to know.