The 255-page memoir, self published by Pelham Springs Press, describes the students, staff, his teaching and travels. The book that took three years to write can be ordered by calling him, via his Web site, www.lawrencesiddall.com, or in local book stores. "I have fond memories of my time there. This book help reinforce that as I wrote it. I hope it comes across that this was a positive experience. The story tells it like that. They are very hospitable," he said. "It made a difference to help students come in contact with us, to meet real Americans, to learn something in class. They are exposed and hear so much about America. They know a lot about the country from movies and sports. With television and the Internet, they know a lot about the world," said Siddall. He still keeps in keeps in touch. "Email has been a big help." And he has been back twice to Swidnica for the weddings of a former student and tutor. While in Poland, he traveled within the country and to Germany, Italy, Czechoslovakia and Russia.
Lawrence Siddall self-publishes his book, "Two Years in Poland and Other Stories," about his being a Peace Corps volunteer in Poland
Tales told of Peace Corps time in Poland
By Phyllis Lehrer
Staff Writer
Published on May 16, 2008
Caption: Lawrence Siddall with his self-published book, "Two Years in Poland and Other Stories," about his being a Peace Corps volunteer in Poland. Photo: Gordon Daniels
There is life outside Amherst. Larry Siddall should know.
He left town for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Poland and has been back there twice.
He's written about that experience and other travels in his memoir, "Two Years in Poland and Other Stories."
Sitting in his Amherst home, decorated with reminders of his many travels, Siddall explained why a 67-year-old grandfather would pack his bags and leave town.
"It was a last-minute decision made about six months before I retired," said Siddall, a retired psychotherapist who practiced for 34 years at the Holyoke Mental Health Clinic, at the University of Massachusetts health services and Amherst Medical Associates.
But there is an underlying reason: "My interest in how the rest of the world lives. When you travel you are exposed to other cultures."
He knew the Peace Corps accepted older volunteers, citing Jimmy Carter's mother, Lillian, who served in the 1960s.
He said the Peace Corps is now actively recruiting older volunteers. But good health is important, he said, adding that, "The older folks are not sent to primitive or isolated places." The Peace Corps predicts that 25 to 30 percent of people who sign up drop out for all kinds of reasons.
"I had no idea what would happen. It's like when you get accepted to college, it determines your life for the next four years. I let them determine my life," said Siddall, who has three children and two grandchildren.
Determine they did, since he had requested a post in South America and was assigned to Swidnica, Poland, to teach English at a high school.
The Polish Ministry of Education asked the Peace Corps for English teachers to educate the generation that was born after the break-up of the Soviet Union; English was to be the main foreign language. The Peace Corps is no longer in Poland, and Siddall's group was next to last to work there.
The 255-page memoir, self published by Pelham Springs Press, describes the students, staff, his teaching and travels. The book that took three years to write can be ordered by calling him, via his Web site, www.lawrencesiddall.com, or in local book stores.
"I have fond memories of my time there. This book help reinforce that as I wrote it. I hope it comes across that this was a positive experience. The story tells it like that. They are very hospitable," he said.
"It made a difference to help students come in contact with us, to meet real Americans, to learn something in class. They are exposed and hear so much about America. They know a lot about the country from movies and sports. With television and the Internet, they know a lot about the world," said Siddall.
He still keeps in keeps in touch. "Email has been a big help." And he has been back twice to Swidnica for the weddings of a former student and tutor. While in Poland, he traveled within the country and to Germany, Italy, Czechoslovakia and Russia.
The book's other stories deal with his international experience. He was born in China, where his father was a medical missionary. China is, "My upbringing, in my soul, the stories my father and older brother told, but it took 70 years before I went back."
A major story is an 11,000-mile trip from Oslo to India in a Volkswagen Bug. After two years in Germany in the Army and a year taking classes, he and a friend planned the trip that took them to major capitals, as well as the Middle East during the Suez Canal crisis.
He has been to elderhostels in Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. And he doesn't mind traveling alone if a compatible companion isn't available.
He acknowledged that's not a problem for a single male, but it's different for women traveling alone. "There are some places in the world women shouldn't travel too."
Siddall speak Spanish, German and Polish, but not knowing a language is not necessarily a barrier to travel. "People are helpful all over the world. People like to be helpful. We're like that, too."
But knowing the language makes a big difference in connecting with people.
"If I can give one bit of advice it's to learn another language and live abroad for a year or two."
As for travel advice, "At any age you need some sense of adventure, the capacity to put up with inconvenience, have patience, curiosity about the country you are going to, the people you will be with, a willingness to learn how other people live, their customs and language."
