The Memoir

I hosted a student teacher from NYU this spring.  My payment was either: 3 credit class at Steinhardt (where I did my MA) or a no credit class in the School of Professional Studies.  A few years ago I had looked at the classes in the SPS and there were many that I was interest in- for my own enrichment.  I started a class called Writing A Memoir taught by Cullen Thomas last Thursday. For the next 7 weeks I'll be writing, digging in and trusting the gush as Tom Romano puts it.  

I had to put my conflict into 2-3 sentences to begin this weeks homework.  This is what I came up with: 

I exhausted every resource I had and made the decision to have bariatric surgery in November 2013.  150 lbs and 14 month later I discovered a fist size tumor in my neck.  The tumor was benign but the nodules in my thyroid were not.  

The next prompt was to write about what is at stake.  I started with Charlie.  Ultimately, it always comes back to us.  Challenges teach us who we are, what is important and who is,  for that matter.  As I write, my hope is that I confront and explore.