Gemma The Person
Something wonderful happened!! On December 11th it was Gemma Naughton's birthday. She is the girl in England that I named my kitty Gemma after. My experiences with Gemma would take me a year to write, so I'll summarize. I met her in a Rocky Horror chat room on Cosmo's Factory, "The Zen Room" (bring back memories for anyone?) She was 16 years old, pregnant, and being beaten by the heroin selling father of her child. I can't spell out her whole life story, but this poor girl had been through hell. Before being in this situation, she lived through some horrible experiences. About a month after I met her, she lost the baby. After everything she had been through previously and now losing the baby, she wanted to die herself. I then spent two years talking to her online or snailmail, plus sending her many gifts, and just all sorts of things to keep her spirits up. When I was at a Rocky Horror Convention in Arizona, I told Sal Piro about her and he gave me a bunch of Rocky Horror books, and collectibles to send her. He wrote something uplifting and autographed all of the books, it was such a great thing for him to do. I bought her a bunch of stuff while I was there as well. It was so exciting to send all of that stuff to her. She couldn't believe it when she got the package!
During the two years that it took to help her put herself back together, it was really tough and she went through a lot. But, it was all so very worth it. She eventually got a great job and a wonderful girlfriend. The job she got moved her around England a lot. We still wrote, exchanged birthday and Christmas cards, and talked on the phone occasionally. I couldn't call her when Miss Boo died because I knew she would be crushed, but I called her when I got a little grey tabby kitten a few months later. She was very upset about Boo's passing, she still carried a picture of her in her wallet. I then told her that I got a kitten and had named her Gemma after her.
We both moved several times and it got harder and harder to keep in touch. She tracked me down on the phone last year on Thanksgiving 2004. I moved again shortly after and we lost touch again. So, a few days ago on December 11th, which was her 24th birthday, I took a stab in the dark and wrote a "Happy Birthday" email to an old email address I had that she used to use. Yesterday, I got a response!! She told me that she had just passed her training and would officially be a Police Officer in London on January 29, 2007. I am SO PROUD of her. She also told me that she has a bunch of kitties and that it is all my fault!! She sent me a picture of the kitties and one of her. She has turned into such a beautiful, successful, young woman. It's just so hard to believe that I met this little 16 year old girl all those years ago in a chat room. Then when she wrote that she was 16 and pregnant, I asked her to get on AIM, so we could talk in private. She was in such a bad place at the time and now she is all better. We both have kept everything that we ever sent each other. I have a box full of letter and stuff, that I'll cherish forever.
We still have never met in person. But, I will hug that girl before I die! That is one thing that I have to do.
During the two years that it took to help her put herself back together, it was really tough and she went through a lot. But, it was all so very worth it. She eventually got a great job and a wonderful girlfriend. The job she got moved her around England a lot. We still wrote, exchanged birthday and Christmas cards, and talked on the phone occasionally. I couldn't call her when Miss Boo died because I knew she would be crushed, but I called her when I got a little grey tabby kitten a few months later. She was very upset about Boo's passing, she still carried a picture of her in her wallet. I then told her that I got a kitten and had named her Gemma after her.
We both moved several times and it got harder and harder to keep in touch. She tracked me down on the phone last year on Thanksgiving 2004. I moved again shortly after and we lost touch again. So, a few days ago on December 11th, which was her 24th birthday, I took a stab in the dark and wrote a "Happy Birthday" email to an old email address I had that she used to use. Yesterday, I got a response!! She told me that she had just passed her training and would officially be a Police Officer in London on January 29, 2007. I am SO PROUD of her. She also told me that she has a bunch of kitties and that it is all my fault!! She sent me a picture of the kitties and one of her. She has turned into such a beautiful, successful, young woman. It's just so hard to believe that I met this little 16 year old girl all those years ago in a chat room. Then when she wrote that she was 16 and pregnant, I asked her to get on AIM, so we could talk in private. She was in such a bad place at the time and now she is all better. We both have kept everything that we ever sent each other. I have a box full of letter and stuff, that I'll cherish forever.
We still have never met in person. But, I will hug that girl before I die! That is one thing that I have to do.