I was reminded again today of how much I miss the voices from our workout circuit at Curves. There were so many stories that flowed in and around the music and the exercise: a woman talking about a gift she’d gotten for a grandchild who’d just come out, or another woman whose first grandchild had been born on the west coast and was counting the days until she could visit. I heard a judge discussing her campaign as she prepared for an election, and a newly hired in-store shopper explained the job to me when that trend was just beginning. Another woman with family in Alaska, talked about all the activities they did indoors during the dark. I heard narratives of wonder and loss, of moving and remodeling, of husbands declining and old friends rediscovered. Everyone had stories and it was a gift to move among them, to listen and contribute, to hear debate and laughter. Curves was such a safe place that even the quiet women would often add a comment or two.
One of my favorite on-going conversations was with a woman whose friends were writing and collecting stories about growing up as the children of Holocaust survivors. They had found support and commonality within their unique group and were hoping to share those stories with others. We talked about writing and re-writing, editing and publishing. Today, I’m thrilled to say, that I hold that book in my hand! The Ones Who Remember: Second-Generation Voices of the Holocaust is its title, and I had the privilege of hearing several of the authors speak at a book reception this afternoon. My Curves friend, Joy Wolfe Ensor, is a contributing editor and author.
Not surprisingly, in line at the signing today were several members of that vibrant Curves community. I know there are more losses from the pandemic than we can ever catalog, but the loss of Curves remains one of the saddest to me.
You can purchase The Ones Who Remember locally at Nicola’s Books or online here. I recommend it!
