Dragon Dreams Come True

I have always loved dragons. The idea of them, the look of them. Dragons are majestic and beautiful. As I have always been an avid reader, I would search for and read any book that dealt with dragons. Then I came across one set of books that I immediately fell in love with. The Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. The dragons in her world were loving and gentle and worked as a team with their human caretakers.

I loved this premise. People and dragons bonding for life, taking care of each other, always there for each other. Her dragons looked like the ones I had always pictured in my mind as the proper look for a dragon. Anne McCaffrey wrote other stories too, some that didn't include dragons, but I had grown to love her writing by the time I found them and enjoyed those series' too.

Then one day, I heard about a convention called DragonCon. It was taking place in Atlanta, GA. Anne McCaffrey was a guest and speaker at this convention. I had to be there. I just had to. Anne lives in Ireland, and the sad fact is she is getting older. This might be my only chance to ever see my favorite author, ever. It is a long trip to take and probably one she wouldn't be making again.

So, I needed to be there. The problem was, I lived in Kansas City. Way too far to just drive over. It seemed impossible for me to make it. But luck was on my side. Some other people from a discussion group I was involved with were going as well. I managed to get with one of them in an agreement to share a hotel room and some expenses for the trip. I bought a plane ticket, ordered convention tickets online. Yay, I was going to go to DragonCon.

Then some bad news. Anne wasn't feeling well, and may not be able to make it to the convention. I didn't like this news at all, but I would definitely give up my chance to see her in person to keep her healthy. So I resigned myself to the fact that even though I was going, the reason for my attendance may not be there.

The day finally arrived and I was in Atlanta, entering the convention hall, still not knowing if my idol was there. I wandered around looking at the booths and performers and suddenly a shock when through the whole area. It was like everyone stopped breathing at once. The whisper came through, Anne was here, she made it. I was thrilled.

I won't bore you with details of the whole convention, but some of the highlights were I bought a copy of Pern music on CD, I met Teal'c and Bratac from Stargate SG-1, talked with them both for over an hour. Met and spoke with my favorite cover artist Rowena.

But the absolute best thing is not only did I see Anne McCaffrey, I met her, and sat with her and a few other people for a few hours. We chatted and shared a bag of pretzels. Her son, Todd, was there as well and I won a galley copy of the first book they co-wrote together.

That was one of the best days of my life. Sitting and chatting with my favorite author, even sharing a snack while we chatted. That is a memory I will always treasure and hold close to my heart. Anne McCaffrey to me is one of the best authors ever, and if you read at all, I recommend her books very highly.

She is not just a great author though, she is also a warm and friendly person. I will always be honored that she chose to share her worlds with us, and I admire her strength and determination in coming to that convention for her fans, despite her poor health at the time.

Anne McCaffrey is a role model, even a hero to me. I love her books, her dragons and her strength. Meeting her, spending most of a day with her, made my dragon dreams come true.

Thank you, Anne, you mean the world to me.