A Long Road : The Life of Nancy Eastridge

My association with Ms. Eastridge began with a call from her after she had seen a program on a local station where I appeared as a guest. I had recently published a book of poetry, and my poetry was featured on the show. Ms. Eastridge called the local university where I taught and asked if I could assist her with a collection of essays that she had written about her life. At the time she resided in an assisted living facility located fifteen miles from the university. It was with some reservation that I initially agreed to travel to the home to meet Ms. Eastridge. I immediately realized that I had made the right choice. This tiny 93-year-old white woman was less than five feet tall, had a desk and typewriter in her bedroom, and carried a cell phone to receive her calls. I left the residence carrying a large paper bag of separate essays to be edited, rearranged, and organized based on themes. The only emotion experienced was one of gratitude for being allowed to assist in the preparation of such a great work. Her work has the ability to excite, to inspire, and to allow the reader to reconnect with his/her own past because of the universality and relevance of the themes. I had the pleasure of working with Ms. Eastridge for about one year, although I continued to work on the project for a number of years.