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Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
When Remembered: The author and her first column in The Resident. Over the last 12 years, she has also contributed to books and national publications.
Remember When
Celebrating 12 years with 'The Resident'
By Cookie Curci-Wright
This is my 12th year of writing my 'Remember When' column. Over the years, I've plumbed the depths of my family memories and of my community. I've shared with my readers my personal stories of my immigrant grandparents, my memories of dad's 1950s soda shop--the Pronto Pup--and I've written of mom's nurturing care and told of her family keepsakes, treasures and glittery 1940s wardrobe.
I've written about my family and community holidays, memories, traditions and rituals. Through the years, I've received letters and messages from long ago acquaintances, community residents and family members who share these memories with me. A connecting thread of family, love and community heritage runs through these letters. I believe that's what it's all about: Connecting, one to the other, with a sharing of feelings and spirit.
"All strong emotions leave an indelible mark," wrote noted author Virginia Woolf. "The past," Woolf wrote, "urges us to 'leave a trace.' "
After 12 years of chronicling many of my family and community histories in my columns, I hope I've managed to leave something that will be remembered. It's difficult to create new ways of putting into words the feelings that come from living in a community rich with friends and memories.
The Willow Glen Resident was born in the back room of the Villa West Reality some 13 years ago. It was created and nurtured by Joe Guerra and community volunteers.
Guerra wrote most of the articles, sold advertising and ran the newspaper. He got a lot of help from Copy Ink , a printing and copying company, and from the community that contributed, many of the newspapers articles and columns.
On Oct. 28, 1987, The Resident ran its first headline. Like a prognostication of things to come, the front page foretold the future success of Willow Glen's business district. The article detailed how the revitalization and implementation committee approved a major facelift for the Avenue. Guerra detailed the committee's $2.4 million plan to bring business back to a failing Lincoln Avenue. It was the start of something big, very big, and marked a milestone in the history of Willow Glen's business district.
In June 1988, I joined The Resident's fledgling family. Like Guerra, I had no propensity for newspaper writing. What I did possess, however, was a burning desire to write a letter to the editor.
The inspiration for my letter came after meeting an old pal from the 1950s. We got to talking and reminiscing about our teenage years; of those days of poodle skirts, fin-tailed cars and James Dean. In particular, the times we spent together at the Pronto Pup Creamery, (my dad's Willow Glen soda shop) the unforgettable Whimpy burgers we enjoyed there and those delectable French fries served in a basket. We pined for thick chocolate malt shakes, 45 rpm records spinning on a juke box, 10 cent cherry colas and nickel ice cream cones.
Nourished by this nostalgia for the good old' days, I penned a handwritten letter to editor Joe Guerra. In it, I shared my reminiscences of the Pronto Pup Creamery. To my surprise, my letter appeared the following month, not in the letter section of the newspaper, as I had expected, but as a column under the title 'Remembering When.'
I was given a byline at the top of the column, while at the same time, at the bottom of the column, it read: Sincerely, Cookie Curci-Wright. But that was only a small part of the mistakes and typographical errors that plagued my early contributions.
In one column, I wrote about my family dog chewing on dad's old boot. The letter 'b' in boot was inadvertently changed to 'f' during the printing process. The line came out in the newspaper reading: "The family dog was chewing on Dad's old foot."
Eventually, like the The Resident, my column blossomed in content and style. It grew from a couple of short paragraphs to a full page. And, eventually, photos were added to enhance each story.
'Remember When' soon became a regular column. I was sandwiched somewhere in between the mysterious recipe aficionado, 'Auntie Mame,' whose identity I never did discover; a column by county Supervisor Zoe Lofgren, who now represents San Jose and part of Willow Glen in the U.S. House of Representatives; and the 'From the City' column, written by then-District 6 Councilwoman Nancy Ianni.
I regard my early columns like babies. A bit feeble and weak at first, then , after a gawky awkward stage, they emerged stronger, began to grow and improve and, finally, to stand on their own.
In 1992, when The Willow Glen Resident was sold to Metro Newspapers, I feared the quaintness of our little newspaper would be lost. I soon discovered that our new publisher, David Cohen, was a Willow Glen resident and a passionate believer in keeping the uniqueness of our community in tact.
The Willow Glen business district is thriving and the pages of our local newspaper provide it with sustenance to grow.
Writing has became a passion for me. I have no choice but to give in to its nagging, stop what I'm doing and jot down a few lines, or an entire column, which may take hours or days. These are the times I feel guilty, when the dishes are soaking in the sink, the beds are unmade and the laundry stays in the hamper. But the need to put my words on paper is greater than my desire for a clean house and, before I know it, I'm off in my own world, spinning another story.
I've discovered the world is full of 'closet writers.' Not a week goes by that I don't hear someone proclaim "I'm going to write a book someday." But writing isn't something you can put off. Writing takes possession of you and your thoughts, and you have no choice but to put it all on paper. I suggest to all potential writers, "Stop proclaiming and start writing."
I've had several of my stories published in national magazines and several books over the years. Three of my stories are scheduled for publication in the upcoming Chicken Soup For the Grandparents Soul.
Memories are a lifelong companion that offer us continual insight to ourselves and for lessons learned. My grandpa used to say, "Remembering pleasant memories lifts the spirit and soothes the soul." I believe that's true.
Now, with new technology, the traditional morning newspaper quite likely is read on a website and email is sent out quickly with little preparation. For now, I'll stick with snail mail, where I can take a little more time and weight my words more carefully.
Sometimes, through the years, I've been accused of writing with a little too much Horatio Alger in my themes. I can't deny many of my family tales have a moral message. Other times, I've been criticized for writing as if Willow Glen was the center of the universe. Well, that's easy to explain. I write as if Willow Glen is the center of the universe, because for me and many of the lifelong residents who live here, it is.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
