To the editor:

“Alayne, would you be interested in doing some sort of storytelling workshop at the (Qunita Gamelin) Community Center?” MaryAnn Quinn, the community outreach line leader, had asked me one random day.

Little did I know that I would end up teaching what would become an eight-week beginner writing workshop to 10 women who had thought they were attending a presentation by someone telling her own story.

Some, but not all, of the women had the false impression that they weren’t “really writers.”

By the end of eight weeks, though, that all changed. I found myself learning more from these open hearted and brilliant women than they surely learned from me. I am sure this was partly due to the approach that MaryAnn takes in all of her smart coordinating.

She created an environment for me to do what I love – getting people to find their stories inside themselves and get them out on to paper; she made the workshop something people wanted to be part of.

Everyone has a story to tell. My job as their teacher was to get them to see that their stories matter. And eight weeks later, this is what they did by writing their stories from many prompts, then offering gentle commentary on each other’s writing. With many tears, lots of laughter in a most intimate setting, we all learned from each other.

Before this writing class, I had no idea what to expect before making my way into the Quinta Gamelin Community Center at the entrance of Colt State Park and Bristol Town Beach.

I had passed the building with the activities sign out front hundreds of times on my bike rides though the park’s paths along the coast that runs through this magic place I get to call my town.

I had never walked into the building because I had mistakenly thought it was primarily a senior center of some sort, combined with a place that offered yoga and Zumba.

Instead, I learned that Warren Rensenhausen, Tim Shaw, Michele Martins, Mary Ann Quinn, and Melissa Goldstein are a powerhouse group that leads a hub of a place that Bristol residents can be proud of.

It is a beehive of activity filled with enthusiasm, positive energy, interesting classes and events, field trips, virtual cooking classes by community leader and chef, Courtney Poissant, lots of pickleball, computer assistance and so much more.

After spending the last eight weeks inside this center, I quickly realized there is never a reason to feel alone or isolated if you live in Bristol or the surrounding areas.

I am so grateful for MaryAnn and for this welcoming and friendly experience I had with the entire team at this center. We are most fortunate to have this in our little community.

The Quinta Gamelin Community Center made me happy that I could be part of their programming and now, as I have warned them all, they are stuck with me.

For those of you who don’t think you can write, I promise you that when you see a writing workshop on the calendar, just say yes; I will make a writer out of you yet. And even if you are not interested in writing, check out all of the other activities; you won’t be disappointed, and you will probably make some great new friends too, just like I did.

Alayne White
11 Constitution St.