I had several careers: beginning as a kitchen worker at the age of 15 years in the local hospitals. I left Camden for New York and spread my wings as a sales girl at Macy’s in New York before heading to the Lincoln School for Nurses in the Bronx. I left there to pursue a short career in the Army Nurse Corps at West Point and later in Bussac. France. Leaving there I came back to complete my Bachelor’s and Master Degrees at Teachers College, Columbia University.
After completing my studies I began teaching Psychology and Sociology to nursing students. My last professional career was spent working with young people in the Philadelphia public school system. When I retired my immediate plans included traveling to other countries and designing beaded jewelry from the stones I collected in my world travels.
I have always been an avid reader, a people watcher problem solver for myself as well as many of the students I served during my three decades of counseling them.. I was content to get inside of other people’s heads. Exposing my thoughts in writing was something I hadn’t pondered. but then I decided I had to write some positive poems and themes in 1993 to down play some of the negative words and music which seemed to be everywhere.
Yes, I had written in my creative writing courses, but it was always the critiquing of another person’s writing, that I enjoyed, And so putting together my opinionated creative writings and try to make them “hang for others” was a task. Only after I did several revisions was I able to allow anyone to see or hear what I had written. Forces moved me to complete and publish a book combining the survival skills of faith, love and hope. My inspirational poems, 8x12 framed and unframed, became very popular before and after the book Lifting Voices was published.
I decided to self publish my first book in 1999 after a traditional publisher said, "It will take another year." I had no intention of writing another book. It was too much work and I was “too old.” I left the conference with the voice of my instructor ringing in my ear. She praised my writing and said, “Peggy, what’s age got to do with it? "
Slowly the muse sitting on my shoulder made me realize that I needed to start paying attention to some of the beginning “stories” revolving in my grey matter. It was then I realized that it was my time to write!
After completing my studies I began teaching Psychology and Sociology to nursing students. My last professional career was spent working with young people in the Philadelphia public school system. When I retired my immediate plans included traveling to other countries and designing beaded jewelry from the stones I collected in my world travels.
I have always been an avid reader, a people watcher problem solver for myself as well as many of the students I served during my three decades of counseling them.. I was content to get inside of other people’s heads. Exposing my thoughts in writing was something I hadn’t pondered. but then I decided I had to write some positive poems and themes in 1993 to down play some of the negative words and music which seemed to be everywhere.
Yes, I had written in my creative writing courses, but it was always the critiquing of another person’s writing, that I enjoyed, And so putting together my opinionated creative writings and try to make them “hang for others” was a task. Only after I did several revisions was I able to allow anyone to see or hear what I had written. Forces moved me to complete and publish a book combining the survival skills of faith, love and hope. My inspirational poems, 8x12 framed and unframed, became very popular before and after the book Lifting Voices was published.
I decided to self publish my first book in 1999 after a traditional publisher said, "It will take another year." I had no intention of writing another book. It was too much work and I was “too old.” I left the conference with the voice of my instructor ringing in my ear. She praised my writing and said, “Peggy, what’s age got to do with it? "
Slowly the muse sitting on my shoulder made me realize that I needed to start paying attention to some of the beginning “stories” revolving in my grey matter. It was then I realized that it was my time to write!
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