How I Got Hooked on Writing

I went to St. Mary's Grammar School in Lynn for the first 9 years of my formal education. I hated the uniforms with a passion, but my mom loved them because there was never a question about what we were going to wear to school in the morning. (pictured to the left is the first time we met in 1979, the month after my father died of pancreatic cancer, Corinne flew out to spend some time with my family and me.)

In 3rd grade, 1968, a girl in my class, Maureen Martel had an Aunt who was a nun in Honolulu, Hawaii. I think it was St. John's, (Corinne, correct me where I'm wrong) where my friend's Aunt taught 3rd grade, was your teacher Sr. Dora?

My friends Aunt had an idea to start a pen pal exchange with my class in Lynn, Massachusetts. She had her students write "Dear Pen Pal" letters.

My fellow classmate brought the package of letters to my teacher, who separated the letters between boys and girls. She had all of us line up in 2 lines, single file, boys on one side, girls on the other.

Sr. Theresa (I think that was her name) turned the letters upside down and had each student take a letter off the top. I remember how excited I was to have a letter from a girl who wrote a long letter. Immediately I dashed back to my desk and started to write to my new pen pal, Corinne Ragasa.

Corinne and I wrote a lot. Each time one of the students in class would get a letter from their pen pal, they'd bring it to class and read it aloud. I was always standing in front of class reading aloud, my letters from Corinne. One day it stopped because I was the last kid standing.

I won the best prize of all, a friend who is as dear to me as any member of my family. I'm grateful for my friendship with Corinne, it's because of her that I learned how to put my thoughts onto paper. Thank you! My life is richer having you in my life.