Grand Strand Health and Wellness - December 2019

HONORING FRANCIS EDWARD HONYOTSKI

Grand Strand’s Patient of the Month

SHARE YOUR WISDOM IN A MEMOIR Do You Have a Story to Tell? At Grand Strand Health and Wellness, we are lucky to serve and connect with so many members of our community who have also served their communities. This month, we want to honor Francis Edward Honyotski, not only because he is an exemplary patient but also because of how he has always strived to serve and protect others. Francis started his career serving in the U.S. Navy. After seeing the world from a battleship, he decided to continue serving his community as a police officer. When he retired from the police force, he found that he was restless just sitting at home, so he decided to do security work for another 10 years, along with driving a taxi for a brief period of time. After all that excitement, he now enjoys his nice, quiet days in South Carolina. We first met Francis when he attended a health talk Dr. Garner gave at a retired police officers’ club. He now comes to the office about once a week. When Samantha, one of our front desk assistants, asked Francis why he likes coming to GSHW, he said it’s because he wants to get well. “It costs money, but you gotta do what you gotta do,” he said. This is just one example of the many witty comments he makes when he’s here. The urge to leave behind a legacy is an inherent human instinct. Whether you accomplish this by raising children, building a successful company, or starting a charitable organization, the desire to share your wisdom should not go unfulfilled. If none of these options work for your lifestyle, writing a memoir may be a good option. A memoir not only tells your story but also passes on the wisdom you’ve gained from your many experiences and offers a unique perspective to inspire future generations. Writing can be a therapeutic exercise at a time when your life may be changing due to retirement or your kids growing up and leaving the house. And because personal reflection is a natural occurrence with age, writing a memoir can be the perfect way to spend your time. As you gain enough distance from life events to grow useful perspectives, the stage is set for self-discovery and transformation. Even more so, your life experiences can give valuable insights to readers of all ages and circumstances. That’s why biographies and memoirs are such popular genres — reading about real people helps others understand the world and how they can live in it.

Three words that describe Francis are funny, caring, and outgoing. Francis may not agree. He always says he is “over the hill,” and that some people refer to him as an “old grouch,” but he’s always talking to other patients and making the staff laugh.

When he is not at GSHW, you can find him at home watching NCIS, Bull, Ice Road Truckers, or whatever TV show his

wife has recorded for him. He also likes to play Hearts and Mahjong on his computer. He did collect stamps for over 50 years but hasn’t done it recently. If you ask him what he does now, he will say, “Now, I just get fat.” Thank you, Francis, for your service to our country and to your community as a police officer. We look forward to hearing your witty comments and serving you for many more years to come.

To get started, pick a theme. Ask yourself these questions, “What message do I want to leave with my readers? What do I want them to feel or understand by reading my words?” From there, select anecdotes that support your theme. Make sure they’re clear and cohesive. Then, write like you would a fictional novel or story. Show, don’t tell, and keep readers invested by having a narrative arc, whether it flows chronologically or jumps back and forth in time. Remember, this is not a time to air dirty laundry; it’s a time to reflect, grow, and share your experiences with the world.

2 GRANDSTRANDCHIROPRATIC.COM

Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker