Wendy Davis
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I emigrated from Britain when I was quite young to take up a position in the Occupational Therapy Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the U of A. When I retired in 1993 at age 65, I was still single and I really missed work. A friend suggested I take courses for seniors, then offered by the Extension Department. This was a lifesaver. I took four courses and I could easily cycle to the university. A few years later the Extension Department could no longer offer courses for seniors. A group of Extension students – several retired professors—were willing to find instructors and collect fees from elder students to pay them if the University would provide free lecture rooms. Hence, ELLA was created.
I took courses that were completely new subjects to me, such as International Affairs. I took a writing course by Eunice Scarfe who suggested we keep meeting and growing after ELLA. We met at her house, and have since met for many years. My colleagues liked my stories of my childhood in India during the war and encouraged me to get them published. Hence “Dal and Rice” was created and published by McGill Queens.
I have attended Extension or ELLA classes from age 65 to 97, covering 32 years of attendance. I still keep in touch with several friends I met through ELLA – Mel, Joyce, Henry and Miki. Mobility issues now cause a bit of trouble with getting around, but many ELLA friends give me rides.
ELLA courses are very memorable, like Ted Baker’s courses on music which were wonderful, sending us off in high spirits. A course on bugs was amazing and alerted me to be careful when hiking to always sit down on a mat or something so that insects could not bite me.
At ELLA, fellow students gather at lunch and talk enthusiastically about the courses they are taking. I am delighted to hear about a famous painter or even about previous governments in China. Another ELLA positive is that some students have parents or siblings who live far away in the Maritimes or BC who try to coordinate their visits with ELLA.
My thanks to all volunteers, especially those who select the courses.