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As a single adult, Keene was a missionary in Poland, then later moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where she obtained two master\u2019s degrees. There, she met her husband, Stephen, and they began a life of ministry together. Keene recognized how much different their children, Emma and Elijah, lived compared to her Southern Alabama childhood. She wanted them to know her stories and save her memories from dementia or Alzheimer\u2019s. Although she is a published author, writing isn\u2019t an option at life\u2019s current pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keene said, \u201cI don\u2019t have as much time to do that, but I have time to talk, so my husband prompted me. He said, \u2018Lorie, you need to make a little podcast for them.\u2019 I\u2019m not that great with technology, so I was kind of leery of doing that, but I gave it a shot. I downloaded Anchor by Spotify one day and decided I didn\u2019t want to sit down and write out a manuscript. I thought, \u2018I\u2019m just gonna record this like I\u2019m just sitting down with a friend or my family and just sharing a story.\u2019 That happened very casually, and so I did and started sharing it with all my family and friends. I was kind of shocked at the number of people who would call me, occasionally, telling me, \u2018Hey, I\u2019ve listened to some of your stories, and I really liked them.\u2019 So it seems to hit a little bit of a small niche somewhere, so it\u2019s just\u2026 It\u2019s been exciting, and it\u2019s fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the introductory track, Keene describes \u201cAlong Norrell Road\u201d as stories about \u201cwhat it was like to grow up as a child on a family-owned dirt road, in Southern Alabama, in the \u201870s and \u201880s, so I won\u2019t become like the patients I work for that have dementia and Alzheimer’s.\u201d But it\u2019s that and more. If you grew up in the South, in and around those decades, you\u2019ll find plenty that connects with your memories and experiences. And their bite-sized portions fit any schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s definitely for those who would like something shorter sometimes to listen to, hopefully just to encourage them or make them laugh. There\u2019s so much negativity out there; you don\u2019t have to look far to find anything negative. So hopefully, I can bring something positive, lighthearted, and encouraging for them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keene is a natural storyteller, and you feel like she\u2019s having coffee with you or walking beside you down Norrell Road. She sets her family\u2019s homes and habits before you so realistically, you expect to look ahead and see her outside, annoying her younger sister or picking blackberries and plums for her Mammaw. Family makes personal appearances sometimes, bringing you closer inside their circle. And all of this is unscripted, off the cuff, while sneaking away for a few minutes to record, adding a natural soundtrack that further invites you into her stories. Perhaps it\u2019s been learned from her love of reading and the power of story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keene said, \u201c I just enjoy reading, always have, but I\u2019ve always loved biographies. I love hearing personal stories, even if they\u2019re of celebrities or historical figures. I like to hear how they grew up and how it shaped their lives. And so I feel like everybody is a book, everyone\u2019s a story \u2013 all of our lives are \u2013 and, unfortunately, I just feel like novels are passing away every day without being read. There are lessons we can learn. I love social media; I think it is a blessing and can be used as a blessing. But I think the human-to-human element is lost in it. Just sharing life and stories with one another, especially through a verbal venue, is also important. Hopefully, the podcast will continue to draw the interest of some people. If not, then my kids will just have a little repertoire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So walk a little while with Keene down Norrell Road and expect to find your childhood along the way. As you do, consider how you might preserve your memories for the future. Don\u2019t let your novel pass away. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NURSE LORIE KEENE has seen a few things. She sees the present, the past, and the future with humor and heart, and all three have inspired her podcast, \u201cAlong Norrell Road – snippets from a Southern girl\u2019s life.\u201d As a pastor\u2019s wife and registered nurse, home has been many places, but her childhood will always […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[33],"class_list":["post-7321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","tag-october"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DSC_0580-Edit-683x1024.jpg\")