Digressions: My Life in 500 Words or Less

20 years. 20. Two decades. Almost one-third of my life.

In a little more than a week, it will be 20 years since I established The Bard’s Corner Writers’ Group. The anniversary is such a milestone I ignored my training in journalism and writing style of not starting a sentence with a numeral when I wrote the opening to this blog.

Milestones often call for a bit of reflection, and I have been reflecting on this one off and on for the past year or so. To some degree I have trouble comprehending this achievement. And I do consider it an achievement. Despite being a fee-free open group without funding of any kind, TBCWG has thrived in the face of change.

Our group changed meeting locations. When Barnes & Noble could no longer host our meetings, we found a home at Hardin County Public Library. Our group changed meeting days. When meeting on the first and third Mondays each month became unfeasible, we switched to the first and third Thursdays. Our group changed meeting formats. When COVID-19 closed off access to our meeting location, we began meeting virtually.

Membership consists of those who have been with us for several years to those who began attending a few months ago. Members include neighbors in the Elizabethtown, Kentucky, area as well as those traveling the country. Virtual meetings mean there are no geographic boundaries to our membership. Neither is The Bard’s Corner Writers’ Group restricted by age, gender, level or genre.

Over the years, I’ve facilitated the group using a couple of different structures. What has stayed consistent is a desire to make The Bard’s Corner Writers’ Group a useful resource for it members.

Through the years, we’ve had members come and go. Some moved away. Some grew in other directions. Some were not a good fit for our group because they were looking for something else. And new members came in, becoming staples of our ever-stable collection of writers.

The bottom line is we are still a useful resource for our members. And we are still here for any writer who wants to connect with other writers and share feedback, information and support.

Founding and facilitating this group has been, as I often tell members, a humbling experience. I might have founded The Bard’s Corner Writers’ Group, but it has become such an exceptional organization in large part because of its members.

I have tentatively planned a gathering to celebrate the occasion. And, even if it is just by way of this blog, the 20th anniversary should not go unrecognized.

So here’s to The Bard’s Corner Writers’ Group.

I will break training again.

20 years. 20 amazing years.

Happy Anniversary to us.