NEXT AVENUE - SPECIAL SECTION
Telling Our Stories: Next Avenue Readers Reflect on the Pandemic By Julie Pfitzinger
Last summer, Next Avenue launched a first of its kind initiative called Telling Our Stories , inviting our readers to submit personal essays offering their own insightful perspective on aging. We received more than 600 compelling submissions, representing a variety of voices, and in late 2020, we spotlighted twelve on Next Avenue. In March, which marked a year since the start of the global pandemic, we reached out to our readers again,
asking them to reflect on the past year. Once again, we received many essays told in voices that were powerful, unique and diverse. Readers recalled what they had learned, what they lost and where they discovered ways to be resilient. As one writer told us, “I wanted to put what I was feeling on paper, especially after I discovered that I wasn’t alone and others were having the same experience.” Another shared, “Writing this reinforced the need for routine in my life, even during quarantine.”
The Time Machine was one of twelve stories we selected for publication.
Read Telling Our Stories: Reflections on the Pandemic on Next Avenue. And keep your eye out for our next invitation to submit your own personal essay.
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