Breaking My Heart

Today I say good bye to RWA. I’m not leaving the organization because I think they’re not doing a great service for writers. I’m not leaving because I get nothing from them. I’m making a purely financial decision. Like so many of you, my family has been tightening our belts. With two children in college and another due to start before the others finish, we’re doing all we can to budget every dollar. So as of today, RWA is not in the family budget.

I don’t recall exactly how much I paid for my first year’s membership but I’m rather sure it cost about thirty dollars more per year to belong now than it did at first. Those early years provided me with invaluable insight into the industry but at this point in my career I don’t need so many of the things I see in RWR, the publication for members. I don’t intend to ever attend the national conference so the many pages of the publication dedicated to that every year are lost on me. The only thing I’ll miss about belonging to RWA is my local branch of the organization.

Leaving CPRW is breaking my heart. I love those ladies and one gentleman. They’ve supported me and cheered my success. They’ve lifted my hopes as they share their victories and accomplishments. They’ve given me inspiration and provided laughter. Over the years they’ve answered my questions from the silliest little thing to the big ones. They never give up and their boundless determination to succeed is contagious. I miss them already.

I’ll still keep in touch with many of them through their blogs and on facebook. A few of them are members of Pennwriters so I’ll see them at that conference in May but it won’t be the same as meeting with them on the first Saturday of the month or reading about their accomplishments on the Yahoo loop. So I want to thank them, send them my best and perhaps one day I’ll be back.