Jottings From Fifth & G: Connecting the dots

Jottings From Fifth & G: Connecting the dots

Published 8:33 am Thursday, November 27, 2025

A childhood reminiscence of how a lot I loved these “Connect the Dots” books surfaced the opposite day and delivered to thoughts how our lives are formed by the assorted connections we make in our lifetime. According to the philosophy of Steve Jobs, the idea of connecting the dots emphasizes the significance of wanting again at life experiences to grasp how they formed our future, although they appeared random on the time.

Some connections contain individuals who come into our lives on the excellent time; different dots could be selections we make regarding marriage, jobs, strikes, household and way more. It could be one thing you do on a whim, as I did two years in the past, and the connections from that dot hold multiplying.

It truly started in 1992, shortly after we moved from Iowa to Oregon. I don’t keep in mind the place or once we met Bill and Barbara, however in getting acquainted it was found they have been each native Iowans. Through the years our paths usually crossed at social and group occasions they usually have been already dwelling at Mary’s Woods after I moved right here in 2018. We noticed one another ceaselessly they usually usually handed on their present copy of the “Our Iowa” journal to me and different former Iowa residents..

I loved the journal and after studying it for a number of years, and since I’ve a whole lot of Iowa tales, I submitted one. While many of the contributors are Iowans, I doubted it might be accepted. But a number of months later I discovered in my mailbox a replica of the most recent problem, a letter with a private observe from the editor … and a test! I had written about my 4-H experiences as a teen and heard from the present chief of the membership I had been a member of within the Forties, and I additionally obtained a letter from a second cousin who subscribes to the journal.

Since then, I’ve had 5 extra articles printed and this has led to extra reader connections: a telephone name from a person who had grown up near our farm, a letter from a lady who was a neighbor as a bit of lady, a pal from the nation church we attended wrote a letter, a telephone name from former Iowans in Arizona have been curious if I might need recognized their kinfolk … these contacts have been an surprising bonus from my writings, however my newest one has been much more rewarding.

After the August/September problem’s article about my one-room nation college experiences, together with a 1936 photograph displaying the 16 college students and the instructor, the editor obtained an e mail from a lady in Colorado eager to get in contact with me. Her brother, who lives in Iowa, had seen the photograph and stated their dad and aunt have been within the image. I used to be given her e mail and contacted her and we now have been emailing one another since then. Not solely did I do know her father and aunt, I additionally knew her mom from 4-H actions.

As if this nice shock wasn’t sufficient, she obtained in contact with one other relative of their household who lives in Minnesota and likewise attended the varsity. We have had a telephone go to and are actually writing to one another. She is 98 and I’m 95 and we each have listening to deficits, so throughout our telephone dialog we determined to do letters. I’ve obtained two four-page handwritten letters from her and have despatched her two two-page typed letters. Her handwriting remains to be lovely, whereas mine is unreadable. She should have practiced her penmanship greater than I did again in that nation college.

She can be shocked to search out in my latest letter to her a Valentine she had made for me, with an authentic verse, for considered one of our college’s Valentine exchanges. Yes, I nonetheless have my childhood Valentines (my mom saved the whole lot) which I show each February.

So evidently in any case these years I’m nonetheless connecting the dots which have formed and enriched my life in so many random methods, and for which I’m without end grateful.

Jo Ann Parsons is a member of the Jottings Group on the Lake Oswego Adult Community Center (jottings33@gmail.com).