It is no secret that I was hesitant to join the Women in Literary Arts, Inc.-Cebu (WILA) when I was encouraged to do so, more than six years ago. Each member of the group is successful in their own way—their literary works are published in journals and magazines, they have received awards and highest merits, they have published several books, and they are very learned and passionate in their craft. I thought at the time, “How can I possibly catch up?”
But I found that I had the wrong perspective. Although I felt awkward in the first few WILA activities I joined in as a non-member observer and participant, I relish the sincere display of the members’ devotion to the group, their literary genius, and their unique individual personalities. Things snowballed eventually and I found myself submitting my own works as part of my membership application.
In September 2020, I joined in the preparation and celebration of WILA’s 29th anniversary, my second official participation after I was inducted as a member last year. Due to the pandemic and poor Internet connection, WILA held a virtual celebration on Oct. 3 via Zoom and Facebook Live with the theme, Fast Forward. You can watch it here: