While listening to NPR one day, I heard a writer declare, “Unless you’ve had a tragic life, you can’t write anything truly interesting.” Since I’ve led a remarkably happy life with no more than the usual amount of sorrow, you might find nothing I say very interesting. But if you are like me and think the writer on NPR was spouting a bunch of poppycock, you might enjoy some of my posts because they are heartfelt and reflect reality for many of us, people who are just trying to live our lives day by day and find joy and laughter in the small moments.
So that you will understand my perspective, I will tell you a little about myself. My name is Susan Okaty, and if you Google me, you will find I am the only Susan Okaty in the United States, probably in the world. I went to college in the ’60’s (UCONN—Go Huskies!), raised three beautiful children, have been happily married since 1972 to my best friend, and retired in 2008 after being a classroom teacher for many years and the academic dean of a large middle school for seven. I decided to start this blog for no other reason than I thought it might be fun, and when it is no longer fun for me, I will stop.
Coming East 
Ciao,
i am an italian writer, i was looking for a picture of Algoinquin Round Table, for my new book.
Do you know in what year it was done that paint and from who?
Thank you so much,
Kempes
I believe the picture was painted by Natalie Ascencios, maybe in 1998? I took the picture in my post with my camera, so you should be able to get a much better picture of it.
Hi I’m wondering if you took this photo from a previous post or know the person who did?
https://comingeast.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/cimg2612.jpg Please let me know as soon as possible. I’m interested in using it for a project but would need permission, thanks!
Ryan, are you talking about the swan boats in the Public Garden in Boston? I took that photo. If you would like to use it, just give me credit and you have my permission. What is your project?
Yes! Swans in Boston! Can you email me off thread? Do you have access to my email?
Thanks for following my blog. Now I know you’re going to be keeping an eye on what I do in retirement 🙂
Haha. Yes, that’s exactly why I did that.
“Just for fun” is my favourite reason to start anything!
Mine, too, more and more!
One of the best blogs in wordpress. I am looking forward for your posts, Madam. 🙂
I have nominated you for the Liebster Blogging Award.
How sweet, Nancy! Thank you so much! I’m honored.
Just read your about page and that alone made me hit the ‘follow’ button. Can’t wait to read the rest. Have just copied this and will put it somewhere I can see every day: “Living life one sunrise at a time”. Thank you for brightening this insomniacs’ morning.
Thanks for that sweet comment, Hasna. How did you even find me? That’s what I love about blogging—a young woman in England can find a connection with an old woman in the USA.
I’ve nominated you for the Super Sweet Blog Award 🙂 love reading your posts, though I don’t always get to commenting..
http://smilebreatheandgoslowly.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/my-first-ever-blog-award-thingie/
Thanks, Smile! I’m honored.
Hi, I’m back with another award!!! As I meet new bloggers, I am always impressed by the creative blogs I see around me, and for that reason I have nominated you for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. Enjoy it as a compliment. http://wp.me/p2jC53-136 Marsha 🙂 I look forward to getting better acquainted in 2013. 🙂
What an honor, Marsha! Thanks so much.
🙂 You are welcome, and very deserving!! 🙂
I have nominated you for a Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Please see this link at
http://wp.me/piVRT-2M6 Congratulations!
Thank you so much, maviimet. I am honored.
Cool. Having seen many tragic lives and having lived one, at times, myself, this is a breath of fresh air in a world full of – well, global warming. It is joy to see someone write from a positive life in order to share the good things. You go mom!
Thanks, Jeff. There are a lot more of us positive people out there than the media would suggest. In fact, I find the majority of the people I’ve met to be happy, contented souls.
Hmmm….sometimes destiny is convincingly trippy. I was looking for yet another reason to help build up my writing confidence and I came up with this….because I had such a strange and unusual life. Strangely antithetical, right? I am excited to follow you and see where our differences lie. I do hope you keep on writing…it’s inspiringly lovely<3
Thank you so much, Alexis. It will be interesting indeed!
Well, if you’ve had a tragic life, you can probably write something that’s depressing which may interest a few. But if you’ve had a happy life, you can write things that are fun and inspiring…like you are doing now. So, ignoring NPR was the right decision!
Thanks, Gifting.
I am visiting from Lori Lipsky’s blog. Congratulations on your award from her. I look forward to reading more of your articles. Blessings – Patty
Thanks, Patty. So glad you came to visit!
Just popping in to say hello from one former new englander to another! I see you’re in VA now, where I also lived for 5 years! Parallels abound! Looking forward to following your blog!
Thanks, SHBG. Where in Virginia did you live? We will always miss New England, but since our boys live in Boston, we get to visit several times a year.
Hi Susan! Did you go to the writing conference again? I went to the SWCC last weekend, but hope to get to Hampton next fall!
E-mail me, Reeling, and tell me about your conference. Ours was wonderful. I hope you do come next year to ours. You can stay with me!
I’ve enjoyed our conversations! Be great to visit with you! Take care!
Liz
Thanks, Liz. I love making friends through blogging. So easy to read the “About” and posts and decide it the blogger is someone you would enjoy having as a friend. In your case, it’s a definite Yes!
Hey Susan! I really like your blog 😀 I’m gonna follow it and look forward to reading more of your stuff 🙂
Yay, Shalvika! Thank you so much. Now I’m going to pop on over and take a peek at yours.
Hey! I’ve tagged you in a game of blog tag. Here is the link to my blog if you would like to have some fun answering the questions.
http://shalvikap.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/lets-do-the-tag-o/
Thanks, Shalvika. I’m honored to be included, though I probably won’t answer the questions myself. I’m old and tired…
Hi,
We have a lot in common- grandmothers, teachers, writers. I’m from CT originally.
Just visited your site. Very nice!
So happy to “meet” you! And what a pleasure to have found your blog…lots of loveliness here to enjoy 🙂
Anne
Thanks, Anne. What a sweet comment. I’m going to hop in over and visit you now.
Hi and thanks for visiting my blog. I hope blogging continues to be fun for you for a long time to come. Blessings.
I’m glad you took the time to click the like button so I could find you. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
I’m so glad I found your blog. I love all your posts. I look forward to keeping up with your posts.
I’m so glad you found me, too! I’m going to hop on over to visit you now.
YAY … 😀
Glad you approve, FT!
found your blog as I was lookiing at comments on another blog. I look forward to reading your posts. I am new to the blogging world also and appreciated your comments on about. Thanks.
Oh, no! What a terrible time to find me when I’m in the doldrums! I promise I’ll be better starting Monday. Welcome to our blogging world!
Nice to meet you Susan, and thanks for dropping by my blog. Im usually the first one to say that I have lead a pretty ordinary life. I do think though that our world is filled with ordinary people who do extraordinary things.. 🙂
Thanks for returning the visit, Laura.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for subscribing to my blog. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy yours!
Huffygirl
Funny thing, HG, all this time I thought I was subscribed, and then I saw I wasn’t. You’ve been on my blog roll forever. I’ve loved your bog since I first discovered it.
Yes she is, as is my son. But unfortunately, she will be treated as a foreigner back in the UK if we don’t go back early enough for her education and university fees for foreigners are far too expensive. So we have little choice really 😦
But what she and your son have gained already will never be lost, Ken.
nice to come across you – I’m a teacher too from the UK but currently teaching in Bangladesh. Great blog 🙂
How nice of you to visit, Ken. How do you like teaching so far from home? Is it a long term assignment?
I do like it. I love teaching wherever I am but Bangladesh is a beautiful land with wonderful people but they’re in a difficult situation – poverty, climate, politics – everything seems to be against them. I’ve lived here for nearly four years and used to come out in my school holidays to do extra teaching for a couple of years before. My family and I love it here but currently we only have a couple of years left here before we have to return to the UK for my daughter’s higher education.. Thanks for replying and taking an interest! 🙂
Your daughter is already getting an incredible education, Ken!
Hi Susan,
Just visiting from E.C.’s place to say congrats for being a “Lovely Blog” nominee. I’m in great company I see. Fun blog. I like when you said when doing this blog stops being fun, you’ll stop. I’m with you on that. All the best, Margie
Thanks, Margie. I’m going to pop on over to your blog in a minute. I’ve been out of the loop for awhile because I’ve been traveling, so I don’t know anything about being a “Lovely Blog” nominee. I’ll have to investigate.
Love that quote you heard on NPR, and I’ll use it in the future. What writer said that?
Wish I knew who said it, Kris. It was several years ago, and I happened to be listening to NPR in my car, and when I heard him say that, it made me mad.
Thanks for letting me know! Would love to hear how this year’s conference went, too, when you’re back. I’ll hop on their website as well.
I’ll be writing about it this week, Reeling.
As a UConn grad of the early 70s, I’m there with you. And I’ve had a very happy life, and yet I have lots to write about!
Thanks, Nancy. I’m going to visit your site!
I wish I could go to the conference! My old friend from Denmark is coming to visit me then. I hope it’s an annual event, CE!!
How wonderful you are having a visit from a friend! This is our third annual conference, but I’m not sure we are going to do next year’s on such a grand scale. It’s been so much work. We will have a conference next year, but what it will look like, I do not know. I’ll keep you informed.
Love your first paragraph! I’m so glad to read your posts that reflect your grateful perspective and a life of satisfaction. I’m writing now to collect stories for a self-published book I will present to my husband, daughters, mother, siblings, nieces, nephews and cousins. I want them to have those memories and stories. Thank you for visiting today.
What a wonderful thing to do for your family!
Hi,
i stumble upon your blog today and it fascinated me a lot.. keep on writing,
i am new at wordpress, can u suggest me something..
Best,
Hassaan
Welcome to blogging, Hassaan. Just keep writing about what interests you. Show your personality!
Hi! I love your introduction. I am in the same mind thought that you don’t have to be tragic to have an interesting life. I also live in Connecticut and am looking forward to reading your blog.
Cheers,
Louise
We tried to move back to Connecticut, but Virginia is as far as we could get. Our children live in Boston and Michigan plus we still have friends and my husband’s family in Connecticut. Love that little state. Thanks, Louise.
Hello there, and thanks for subscribing to my blog. It looks like we have similar motivations for starting our blog. Similar to your experience with NPR, I thought of what Leo Tolstoy said: “Happy families are all alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Your blog reminds me of so much happiness in my life and in the world. Keep writing. We need more positive vibes out there.
Thank you for such a sweet comment. I’m looking forward to reading more of your writing.
Surfing the waves of the web I am pleasantly stranded in your interesting blog.
I write under the pseudonym of Josè Pascal (a descendant of the great Colonel Aureliano Buendía).
I invite you to visit my “italianglish” writing blog http://parolesemplici.wordpress.com/mytinbox/.
I define this blog “In parole Semplici” as a “virtuacultural tin” box where they are guarded thoughts, memories, images, sounds, and simple stories”.
I dream an intercultural blog. Already involves more than 100 authors/friends.
If you want to participate and to have more informations send me a letter to inparolesempli@gmail.com
Good life and I hope to soon
Muchas gracias, Jose. Don’t know any Italian, just English and Spanish!
But the tin box is in italian and english.
So you can post your stories in english 😉
see u next (a presto)
I will have to consult you when we finally get to visit Italy, whenever that will be!
When you will have intention to come in Italy contact me.
See you next 😉
I stumbled upon your blog today via Freshly Pressed, and I am so glad I did! Tragedy is overrated, but your blog is certainly not. Your stories are wonderful. Please keep telling them.
With sincere admiration,
Amy Bilhorn Thomas
PS – Even though I didn’t go to UCONN, I did grow up in Connecticut. Go Huskies!
I love making connections like this! Thank you for your sweet comment.
I totally agree; I lead a super happy life and I still have stories to tell. I specialize in humour writing about global issues. That’s worth reading! Agreed.
Glad you agree! I think most intelligent people would!, unlike that tormented writer on NPR! I’m looking forward to reading your blog, too. Thanks for commenting.
What a great motivation to start a blog! Just because of the fun! Seems like the same reason I decided on sharing my stories… Congrats to this and keep on blogging, even though it is “just” for the enjoyment you get out of it! 😉
You get it—it’s supposed to be fun! I’m looking forward to reading your stories as well.
This was a very good blog! Do you have e-mail?
Thanks, Chris. Yes, I have an e-mail. Look for it on the right side of my blog home page and click on subscribe. It will take you right to it. Thanks for your comment.
aww if I only could write like you one day !!! ^_^
What a sweet comment! Thank you!
What a great reason to start a blog MOM!
Didn’t think I would get so hooked! Thanks for your comment.
Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting today. I love finding new blogs and yours is a great one. By the way, my dad went to school at UConn, graduated in 1964.
Small world! My brother graduated in 1968 and I graduated in Jan. of 1971.
I just went back to this comment I left you months earlier. My dad actually graduated UConn in 1968 (not sure why I aged him like I did). What was your brother’s major?
My brother’s degree was in zoology. After his graduate degree in marine ecology, he went on to become the curator of mammals at the San Diego Zoo and eventually was the executive director of several zoos in the country. What about your dad? UConn was pretty large, so I doubt if they knew each other, but you never know. So you are young enough to be my daughter! 😉
Congratulations!! You have been awarded The Versatile Blogger Award. Stop by at Older Eyes – Bud’s Blog for more details.
Wow! Thanks, Bud. Now I have to get to work thinking of what to write for my seven things. I appreciate you!
I also don’t subscribe to the idea that a writer has to have had a tragedy or tragic life to be interesting. There are plenty of great storytellers out there of diverse backgrounds. So kudos to you for jumping in and sharing your thoughts and ideas!
Thank you for subscribing; otherwise, I might not have found you! I’m looking forward to reading more of your posts.
Isn’t it great when your kids read your posts and like them.
Judith
Yes, how wonderful that they think I’m interesting enough to read!
I’m a husky, too! Got my master’s there in 1987. I found you through your comments on Kristen Lamb’s blog. Can you give me more details about the September Hampton Roads workshop that provides advice on opening pages?
Many thanks,
Kathy
P.S. – I think the garden-variety suffering is sufficient to enable one to write interestingly.
Yea! Another Husky! Did you watch our women beat Duke last night? Awesome! Do you live in the Hampton Roads area? To find out more about Hampton Roads Writers, go to hamptonroadswriters.org and our site will tell you all about our conference that will be held in September. It also will give you information about our Traveling Pen workshops and our Open Mic nights.
This writer’s concept that one can only write something interesting if he/she has had a tragic life….my personal observation is that this is not true. First of all, all people on this planet get their fair share of sorrow. There is no escape. It is unfortunate that there are some people get more than their “fair share.” Sometimes the spirits of these people just “die.” And if they don’t, their daily efforts are centered on just coping. They have neither the will or desire to delve into writing “something interesting.”
Perhaps I should not speak on behalf of victims of tragedy. Indeed I could be quite wrong, as I am only speaking from my own observations. I would like to extend the invitation for them to speak for themselves.
I believe that this link between tragedy and creativity is a “romantic” notion encountered in the belief system of writers. It does seem that there is a disproportionally high degree of depression afflicting writers. This is not just my opinion; the subject is discussed widely on the internet and can be found by anyone who might be interested.
We’re a Husky household, too. Husband was a graduate and a proud Husky!
Literally.
He. was. THE. Husky. Dog.
Put on the Jonathan suit and raced around at all the big events including TWO Big East Basketball Championships in the Ray Allen days. (He’s young.)
He loved it.
OMG! Wait until I tell my husband, brother and sister-in-law! We are all devoted Huskies. We were lucky enough to see our women play in the first round of March Madness this year in Norfolk at Old Dominion University. We had front-row seats.
Hi Susan,
Thank you for sharing with me on a day I most needed it. You are a true delight and such a valued member of our community. Should have know you were a Huskie! Thank you for turning a Monday into a great day. Kara Spiers
Thanks for being a part of my life! The Y rocks!
Susan, you have been my best friend forever…. since 1962 when we were just babies, okay ninth grade English class……we’ve spent many years apart in different parts of the country…..but I am always amazed at how close we remain and can just ‘pick up’ where we were when last together…… I love your writing, getting inside your head as it were and learning more about you.
Besos y abrazos,
Linda
I don’t think you have to try to get inside my head. You’ve been there for nearly 50 years! You know me better than my husband, my BFF! Thanks for the comment.
Great blog, Mom! Looking forward to each new entry…
Love,
Olga
Thanks, dear daughter!
You might be my only fan! Thanks, Darling.
This looks great mom! You know I will be your number one fan.
All my love,
Emily