As long as SOAR LLI member Paula Finkelstein is near a body of water, she is happy.

Her love of the water was one of the reasons that she spent time going on cruises. Finkelstein said that she has cruised to islands in the Caribbean, such as Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and St. Martin.

“I love water,” said Finkelstein. “Before the COVID pandemic, before I could no longer read, I cruised every year. My 80^th birthday was the last time I went on a cruise; January 2020 was the last time.”

As Finkelstein indicated, the fact that she could no longer read was one thing that stopped her from cruising. Her vision loss is caused by macular degeneration, an eye disease typically occurring at age 50 and above.

“With macular degeneration it is hard to get around and I don’t drive anymore,” said Finkelstein. “I’ve had it for a long time. It has progressively gotten worse over the last one-and-a-half years. I stopped driving three years ago. My mother had macular degeneration and had an accident, and I didn’t want to be that person.”

Since Finkelstein doesn’t drive anymore, using Zoom on her phone or computer at home is a way that she participates in different activities  to bring her joy.

Finkelstein uses Zoom at home to attend a writing workshop called High Lights, which is offered by Northlight Theatre in Skokie, Illinois in partnership with Levy Senior Center Foundation in Evanston, Illinois.

“I take a lot of classes on Zoom,” said Finkelstein, a retired English teacher and adjunct college instructor, and former SOAR instructor. “My daughter lives in Chicago and she text – or emailed me — about the Levy Senior Center. The workshop was originally designed for Chicago and members of the Levy Senior Center, but I applied, and I got chosen in 2021. It was just a lucky fluke.

“We’ve been together as a group on our own since 2021. We write every Monday. It is self-directed. Each person takes a turn at leading the group for writing prompts and giving feedback.”

While in one of the sessions on Zoom Finkelstein started writing a poem she titled “Stan the Man.” In February 2024, Finkelstein gathered with other High Lights participants at the Levy Senior Center in Evanston, and was one of the participants selected to read her work aloud. Finkelstein explained the true story behind the poem “Stan the Man.”

“It happened on my first trip on a cruise ship,” said Finkelstein. “I went to Europe in 1963 on Holland America. Stan was the first-class passenger cruise director. I figured a little flirtation, what could it hurt? But I fell in love with the water instead.”

Finkelstein also enjoys taking SOAR classes on Zoom. One of the last SOAR classes she attended in Spring 2024 Term, was a Zoom class titled “Women in Film.” One of the very first SOAR classes Finkelstein took was in SOAR’s very first term in 2003.

“One of my first classes was with Martin Herman,” said Finkelstein. “He is a founding member of SOAR. He taught classes on operas coming to the Michigan Opera Theatre.

“I felt so out of element because everyone else knew what he was talking about. At the end of the class I went up to him and asked him if I should come again. And he said of course you should. And I really learned a lot.”

After attending SOAR’s first term, Finkelstein became a SOAR instructor in Spring 2004 Term, teaching her first class “Overview of American Literature.” She was a SOAR instructor for 17 years, teaching different types of literature including French, Irish, Russian, and science fiction.

According to Finkelstein, taking classes and teaching at SOAR has played a pivotal and vital role in her life.

“It actually ended up saving my life, well maybe not saving my life, but…my husband died in May 2004,” Finkelstein said.  “And had I not had a reason to get up, I could have probably stayed in bed.  It gave me a reason to continue getting out of bed.”