“At the start of a class in late November, Guide Deb Livingston asked all of us about our Thanksgiving plans. I explained that I’d turned down a few invitations because I didn’t want to travel and had planned to spend the holiday happily and at home. As I finished speaking, a participant in the class spoke up. She was a fellow learner I had seen in a few classes who happens to live in the same town as I do.

You should come over for Thanksgiving dinner!’ she offered. I accepted and shared a lovely holiday with new friends.

GetSetUp is a great place to make those kinds of connections. Each class is personable and lively. It’s the next best thing to in-person classes, and I attend classes nearly every day. You can find me in classes ranging from cooking, to travel, to technology, to personal growth. I thoroughly enjoy what I learn in them. Recently, Deb Livingston and I mused about hosting a cooking class together, but my kitchen might be a bit small for that. Still, I make a tasty Moroccan garbanzo bean salad and would love to share the recipe with others.

Since I’m still working, I can’t take classes as much as I’d like, but I am nearing the mark of 100 classes completed. As the principal of my company, Enough Said, I mostly write, edit, and manage book projects. Throughout my multi-decade publishing career, I’ve worked with book publishers, production houses, and independent authors to help publish hundreds of books. Among them are cookbooks, guidebooks, textbooks, and memoirs. I also co-authored a book about writing and producing newsletters. And I’m still working part-time. I love my work!

In an ideal world, I would have more time to write for myself. Even so, I do make time to journal and write poetry. I started composing a poem recently while driving north on the Florida Turnpike. On that 300-mile ride home on a very dark night, I noticed a small pickup truck passing on my right. The flatbed brimmed with oranges that blazed bright against the darkness. That moment stuck with me, inspiring a poem I like a lot.

Learning and spending time with my mini schnauzer named Amelie, with friends, and online with GetSetUp help keep me moving forward in these challenging times. I register for nearly every class with Russ Eanes and Deb Livingston and plan to continue learning with them. I’ve also started going to movie theaters again and am catching up on some of the latest films. Big screens in the theaters and Get Set Up via Zoom on my laptop: That’s technology that brings me joy!”

- Heath