AI: Rediscovering a Part of Myself

I just finished creating a presentation called AI for Fun and Everyday Life, which I’ll be sharing at OLLI next week. I truly enjoyed putting it together—something I wouldn’t have expected a couple of years ago.

Back then, artificial intelligence wasn’t even on my radar. But after I placed Bill in the VA Memory Care unit, I suddenly had time on my hands and wasn’t sure how to fill it.

At first, I jumped into volunteering. I helped out at OLLI and enjoyed it but stepped away after my supervisor left. Then I edited the newsletter for the UU church here in Galveston, which was also rewarding. Still, I began to realize something important: at this stage in my life—balancing regular visits to see Bill and making time to enjoy my own life—I no longer want a steady, structured volunteer role. Wasn't there something I could do on my own time schedule?

Meanwhile, my kids kept talking about AI. My daughter Shelly, a college instructor, was frustrated that her students were using it to write their papers—poorly. My son Wil, on the other hand, was excited about all the ways AI could make life easier.

Over time, both of them found ways to incorporate AI into their work. Shelly started integrating AI into her teaching, using it for lesson plans, and training her students to use it thoughtfully. She also uses AI and her cat, Sammy, to make her presentations more interesting. 

Wil learned to program with AI and now builds tools for both business and personal use, including TheWelpDesk, an AI that I use to edit images.

Naturally, I got curious too.

I first used AI at OLLI, writing course descriptions for the catalog. Then, as editor of the UU newsletter, I began using it to generate graphics and polish my writing. Bit by bit, I got more comfortable with it—and more intrigued.

This summer, I decided to teach a class on the topic. My presentation, AI for Fun and Everyday Life, is designed to show how AI can be a helpful tool—whether you're writing, planning a trip, creating art, troubleshooting around the house, or just having fun.

Putting this class together taught me a lot. I now have a better sense of what AI can (and can’t) do. But, more importantly, I realized what I'd been missing in my life. I've always loved teaching adults and sharing what I've learned, but I had set it aside when I became a caregiver. Preparing this presentation reminded me how much joy and sense of purpose that role brings me.

I may have started exploring AI out of curiosity, but it’s ended up enriching my life in more ways than one—by helping me stay curious, feel useful, and even rediscover a part of myself.