Inaugural In It Together Tuesdays
story by Glenn Swanson•January 6, 2026•
Our first 'In It Together' Tuesday night gathering at Oldenburg House was attended by Molly Johnson and Tegan Johnson along with Glenn and Emily Swanson. It was fantastic and reminiscent of a program OACC conducted in the past called the Magnolia Salon which was a community gathering at Oldenburg every Thursday night. Molly and Tegan had the opportunity to get acquainted and the three of us discovered Tegan's amazing story about her creative talent and passion as a 'vocal actor'.
We also took time to register Tegan as a 'Local Hand' on our platform and created a new term under the umbrella of performing arts - 'Vocal Actor'. Tegan quite literally is a storyteller and that talent and passion fits perfectly within OACC mission to collect and present stories of our community.
The author and I got to know each other over time—we’ve been sharing and promoting his book together, and now he has another one coming out in February. His first book is titled Twelve Pitstops You Should Make While Driving to the Afterlife.
The title may sound a bit lighthearted, but it’s actually the story of a man in hospice who is making peace with his life. He goes through different stages of that journey, coming to terms with each one, all told through the metaphor of driving a car—the same car he owned as a child.
It’s incredibly moving. As I was narrating it, I found myself crying during some of the chapters. It’s a beautiful book. This author is remarkably creative and uses every ounce of his life experience in his writing.
My dad is 83, and he read the physical book. He couldn’t believe the level of wisdom coming from someone who was only 36 years old. But the author is a refugee from Bosnia and has lived through far more than most people that age. In many ways, he’s lived a lifetime already.