George belongs to a writing group in Payson, AZ. One of the members owns his own railroad car! Normally it is based in Los Angeles but he has it in Winslow for a while, about 75 miles from our homebase. Stan, the owner, invited the group up last Saturday for a writing meeting with lunch in the Turquoise Room at La Posada. 
Stan has owned railroad equipment since the late 1960s and rented his cars and railroads out for the use in events and for movies. His first steam engine was used in a Kung-Fu episode. Later Stan played parts in movies too, as well as renting out equipment. His party car, The Pony Express, is his only railroad car now. He will be taking it to a railroad car owners meeting in Washington, D.C. in February. He’s invited writing group members to attend. The price tag is around $2,200 but that includes accommodations in a second car, a sleeper, and all meals except a night out on their stopover in New Orleans. For 14 days, it’s really not that bad. Here is another subculture like full-time RVing that is not too well known but has its aficionados and its own vocabulary. I think he has some takers in the group, though we won’t be among them.
We learned that Stan's car, like RVs, gets power in three possible ways: 
generator, solar panels and shore power though the Amtrak shore power at 440 volts. There are two associations for private railroad car ownership. You can find more about them and what you need for this hobby at Stan’s Web site. Explore it to find out more about railroad cars and movies too.
Once the meeting started, read pieces. George’s was from a suggested assignment a previous meeting: write about your first car. His was in haiku form - quite well done,though I might be a bit prejudiced. Andy read his short story and Carol read a piece about remembering Pearl Harbor and another about the day Kennedy was assassinated. This day was the anniversary of Kennedy’s death. Hard to believe it was 45 years ago.
After lunch, the rest of us wrote about and read our pieces about where we were the day Kennedy was shot. I was in college and I remember the whole event seemed surreal.
Tellebration
That evening, we attended the worldwide Tellebration Event. This was the 9th annual event in Pine and something we look forward to. The night had six wonderful storytellers (see below) in addition to Don Doyle, organizer. Some storytellers recount personal stories, some tell historical stories or legends. All are talented and could keep you on the edge of your seat with their tales. Two were younger storytellers. Darren tap dances as part of his stories. Kindra kept us in stitches with tales of being a bargain shopper and times when her bargains went awry. Dorothy Anderson, a.k.a. Buckshot Dot, dressed in period costume (pictured) told us an old and a new story of Arizona; the old story about the discovery of the Vulture Mine, the richest in Arizona. Each year the turnout grows.
The gift of stories
We all love a story. Writing down our own stories helps preserve the past. It is a legacy we can pass onto family. Historical events become real to those who were not even born yet or were too young to remember. Carol was eight when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. She recounted the fear she felt as her father would read the paper to the family or as they listened to the radio. She went with a cousin sometimes to spot planes flying overhead and report them. Carol was fearful each time she heard a plane, thinking that it was the Japanese attacking. They had family members and neighbors in the war to worry about; one in the Pacific theater, one in France.
Victor recounted telling stories about his grandmother Addy to his own son in hopes of passing on
wisdom about living. As his son reached the teenage years, he was no longer impressed by Addy or his own father’s stories about being a police officer. However, as Victor found as he continued with his account, his son had indeed listened and learned - and remembered. Stories are powerful teachers and we remember those long after we’ve forgotten lectures and specific facts.
It’s good to hear personal stories about difficult periods in our history. It makes it real; the events become something the listener can personally relate to rather than a simple line in a history book. And our difficulties in life often become the funniest stories in the retelling. They weave the generations together and give families and groups a common bond. I doubt we can ever get too many stories.
As you travel, it is a wonderful opportunity to listen to stories from various areas of the country. RVing can also give you time to write down or record your own stories. How many of us have bemoaned the fact that we should have gotten Grandfather to tell us about his life while he was alive. Now he’s gone and it is too late. Don't let it be too late for yours.
We used to write letters and diaries. Some were saved and became treasured family possessions. With telephone and email, letter writing is disappearing. Some of us save emails, but they often are lost when the computer crashes or a new model is purchased. Write yours down! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
