04/11/2024
Still glowing, one day after leading The Water Cooler - an informal, online get-together for AWA-certified workshop leaders. I first came in contact with in the ‘90s in New York, thanks to an invitation from my dear friend . I’ve been involved at various levels ever since, but these days it’s my AWA folks who help me breathe, quite literally – I receive so much oxygen, support and love from everyone there.
The invitation I wrote to yesterday’s session read, “Vaporize your pre-election jitters at the Water Cooler, this Sunday.” During 90 minutes, 14 of us discussed so many things, like AWA’s incredible work of giving writing workshops for caregivers. Like helping survivors of sexual assaults, trauma and abuse give voice to their stories in safe, careful, structured workshops that stay miles away from being therapy, but still manage to be hugely therapeutic for the participants. Like the quiet power of something like a writing workshop for bereaved mothers that one of my colleagues joined 22 years ago. Catch that? 22 years. And she is still writing with that group today.
But that’s the power of AWA – while there are all kinds of workshops designed for more niche audiences like LGBTQ+, or Black women, or Jewish people writing family histories, there’s also plenty of room for someone like myself, a normal (ahem, many may question that!), gay, white guy who leads Writers’ Stretch & Tone – a workshop that is just like daily dance class, but for writers.
As we concluded the Water Cooler, AWA Chair said, full of smiles, “Well Matthew I’m afraid you didn’t manage to vaporize my pre-election jitters, but you certainly took my mind off the subject for a whole hour and a half!” If that was the least I could do, as we all hold on for dear life, wondering which way the world will turn in the coming days, then I’m a happy guy.
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