I didn't even want to discuss what this event was originally called. I
cringe with embarrassment at the mere hint of it. But I do want to tell
you that something very special happened on Saturday July 18th at a
Ramada Hotel in Edison, New Jersey.

Other people have written in and told you some specifics of the day. I
want to present how it felt to be on the receiving side of this day.

I guess I'm not very good at "receiving" from people. I never have been.
This trip is supposed to "cure" that failing! Well, I guess the ABBAMAIL
Day has gone someway in achieving that. It's kind of exciting to think
that people will drive for miles and miles, across state borders etc.
just to meet me. But I am never very comfortable in allowing myself to
bathe in that glory in case "there's someone right behind to shoot me
down and say he always knew I'd fall". I guess it's paranoid and
smacking of low self-esteem in someways but "that's me" :)  Anyway, if
there's something that Ron and the gang did across to me on the day is
the fact that ABBAMAIL IS very important for a lot of people  and that
the work I have done to establish and maintain it IS very much
appreciated. 

While I was cringing with severe embarrassment when Ron made his speech
on the day and presented me with a "Certificate of Appreciation",
something else inside me was also feeling like "yes, thank you very much
for noticing and for caring about ABBAMAIL and all the work it
involves". I guess we're so conditioned in Australia to making sure that
we don't "get above our stations" that it can be hard accept being put
on a pedestal, even if it is only for five minutes.

When I look back at my 20years+ involvement with ABBA fandom - in
running the fan club, arranging conventions and devising ABBA nights at
venues etc. - I guess there really hasn't been a time when people, as a
group, have actually said "thank you". And maybe I haven't really let
them say it anyway. 

So this time, for the first time, having people say "we appreciate you"
was very, very nice and warm to hear. It makes all the ABBAMAIL madness
worth it in a way. Coming face to face with a group of people who've
gained knowledge, enjoyment and friendships all through this thing
called ABBAMAIL. I guess it was a lesson in life for me to learn.

And what a group of people it was. How amazing to meet Abbi and Janet
and find out that they are beautiful, attractive women with bright and
bubbly personalities. They certainly weren't the "teeny terrors" I had
imagined them to be at all. We hugged, we joked, we laughed, we shared
stories about our lives and gossip about ABBA and ABBAMAIL. We even
drank beer together!

Ron is like an enigma. A family man who looks like he's seen and done it
all before, he still retains a sense of warmth and humility that shines
through everything he does and says. I just enjoyed watching him trying
to cope with the results of this monster he'd created on the internet.
It was here, Saturday July 18th was finally here and Ron was well and
truly on the ABBAMAIL DAY roller-coaster. He looked at times like he was
thinking "what the hell have I done?" and at other times "WOW, this is
really amazing. I did this!". Ron is a really great guy. He's not the
most experienced or knowledgeable ABBA fan in the world but he's sure as
hell making up for lost time. And what better way than to provide a
forum for US ABBAMAILers to meet in real life and share their love of
the group together.

Bob Eber is a funky guy who was nice enough to bring his very extensive
ABBA collection to the Ramada so that we could all see some of this
stuff. Even I hadn't seen some of his rare vinyl collection and I know
the others were positively drooling over it. Bob is warm and gentle and
an "in the background" kind of guy. His face just seem to say "I'm
really enjoying all of this, when can we do it again?"

Christine was a new ABBAMAILer, she'd only been on the list for a month.
But what a sense of humour! She had a great time watching Jeffrey
DeHart's ABBA videos and pawing through magazines and newspaper articles
and convention programs and so on. I really liked Christine - her and
Abbi connected instantly throught their mutual love of Frida. Christine
seemed to me the kind of woman that America needs - no bullshit, down to
earth, able to get things done with a minimum of fuss but always
retaining a wicked sense of humour about it. Christine and her
girlfriend are about to adopt a child and I can't think of a better way
for that child to grow up than having Christine as a "mum".

George from ABBA list is a crazy New-Yorker. Cynical, biting, maybe even
a bit homophobic but lots and lots of fun. It was fun just to see him,
as someone who knows nothing of ABBAMAIL, experience all the madness of
ABBAMAIL right up front in the box seat. He commented at one point "it's
just like a soap opera". And we all agreed, ABBAMAIL IS just a like a
soap opera. And we are all the continuing characters and our emails make
up the "scripts" that are full of drama, fun, sadness, biterness,
hilarity and so much more. George now wants to join ABBAMAIL and I must
remember to link him up. He gave me his busines card with his email
address to do just that (I'm running behind as usual).

German (pronounced Herman) from Costa Rica was a quiet but warm guy.
This was his first chance to link up with a group of ABBA fans in real
life and he loved it.  Jeffrey drove German and I out to New Jersey and
we had some fun along the way trying to find a McDonalds. Seems we drove
around New Jersey for a couple of hours til we finally came across one.
German could only stay acouple of hours due to prior commitments but it
was wonderful to meet ABBAMAIL's Costa-Rican connection. 

Jonas from New York also popped in later in the day and stayed for a
couple of hours. I think it might have been a little intimidating
walking into our group after we'd been going for a few hours. Once we'd
started on the ABBA videos there was no stopping us. We laughed and
bitched about their costumes, choreography, make-up and so on. The same
things ABBA fans have been doing when they get together for the last 20
years. Now America finally had the chance to do the same thing.

I must thank Jeffrey DeHart for bringing some rarities from his
collection and a great selection of ABBA on video. I took over the
remote control (what else is new?) because I wanted people to at least
see some snippets of some of the amazing ABBA footage before they left.
I think we covered an incredible amount during that one day. As most
were Frida fanatics, it's easy to see who we focussed on during the
video selections. Poor George felt a little left out because he is a big
Agnetha fan. Seems like he was always threatening to take me out and
beat me up when I made one of my famous Agnetha comments :)

Altogether, 9 ABBAMAILers and 1 abbalist-er got together thanks to the
organisational skills of Ron Miskoff (thanks also to Bob Eber and Sean
Dwyer). The point of the day was supposedly to give ABBAMAILers a chance
to meet me but something else really underpinned the whole event. 

And that was that U.S. ABBAMAILers finally got a chance to meet up,
share their love of ABBA and begin to form networks, friendships and
associations that will last well into the future. My visit to America
was only the catalyst for this happening.  Now that it's happened it's
up to all of those present to keep in touch with each other and keep the
spirit of ABBA fandom from fading out again in the States. Something
special happened and it's so important that the significance of it is
not lost.

I would like to give my hearfelt thanks to Ron Miskoff for all his work,
patience and dedication in making this event happen. I know how hard it
is to organise these kinds of events and so I am in awe of Ron's
initiative and persistence in making the day an experience for all of
us.

U.S. ABBAMAILers unite! There's no longer any need to feel isolated.
We've made a beginning thanks to Ron Miskoff. Keep that fire burning!

Graeme
ABBAMAIL