We found Vicky

 

 

It was the mid 1990s. I was a member of the International Women's Writers Guild. Living in a francophone world almost devoid of writer friendships, I appreciated their newsletter. In the States groups of members would develop circles where they would meet to support and share their writing.

Geography made that impossible for the few international members. I do not remember who came up with the idea, but we decided to form an on-line group. How different it was then from today's Zoom. At the time my huge computer had green type against a black screen.

Soon we had members from the UK, Israel, Germany, Australia and even the U.S.

We decided to do an anthology of short stories together. In a flood of emails, we decided they should all be interconnected. Camden Market was to be the location that would bind the stories together.  

Each of us came up with a character and from the characters in other stories, we interwove one or more into ours. 

Manuscripts went back and forth. Eventually it was published and appeared on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Found-Camden-Ann-Hacker-ebook/dp/B00IMHJH8Y 

The project done, I wondered if the group would fall apart. It didn't.

Some of us got a chance to meet. Vicky and Tammy came to the Geneva Writers Group Conference. We heard of other meet-ups. I almost met Janice in D.C. and Ute in Germany. The logistics were close but not close enough.

Over the years, our technology has improved. Gone are the green letters on the black screen. Facebook has been added to our communication methods, but emails still work well. 

We lost two members. Camden is dedicated to Barbara. I'm Facebook friends with Janice's daughter and realize how much she would love her two grandsons, whose pictures appear regularly on my feed.

We deal less with writing, although we share what we're doing, good and bad, from a new job to a move. At one point I discovered one of the group lived two doors down from where I lived on Olgastrasse in Stuttgart, only not at the same time.

We've shared our illnesses including the biggies such as a heart attack and cancer. 

Always is the feeling of emotional support when needed if only in the form of understanding in caring messages. There's celebration of any of life's victories.

We lost track of Vicky but miracle or miracles happened (a working email) and this week we were once again catching up on our lives.

It's been a while since I've heard how the computer (email, internet) can isolate us. I don't deny that in some cases it can. However, in this case it brought together women from many places and created a bond that might never have existed face to face.