Linda, you are sooo cool. Thankx for leaving your story.

I love you so much. You continue to inspire me. John Powers thought I would like your story and boy was he right.

For once!

You know me though, I'll argue about anything. My own brother says that I would argue with a dead man. I got to differ with you when you say that you have forgotten ANY of the "lessons" of "giving and sharing," or of "family and interconnectedness."

You are free to chastise yourself all ya want, of course, though I believe that beating up on one's self won't bring us growth and tolerance. Beating ourselves up only adds to the pain and doubt we all carry around like a sack of Christmas toys, ever ready to share with one another.

Yeah, honey, it's a free country, sort of, and you can beat up on yourself, but you can't just use a bold-faced lie to beat yourself up. I usually love it when a woman lies to me, because it means we're intimate enough for her to consider my view important, but the lie must have some basis in reality for me to be reassured.

You cannot just tell me a lie so bold that I won't be able to suspend my own disbelief. Not even Reagan/Bush and the neo-Nazis can get me to believe just any old lie. When you tell me that you have forgotten anything about "giving and sharing," or of "family and interconnectedness," I am unable to digest so startling a fantasy -- even from you.

I know for certain that you are a constant voice for sharing, giving and connecting. Was someone else to say these horrible things about you, I would have to go by HIS house: NO woman would dare be so audacious.

My experience of you has been one of constant mediation and support, of ALL the human interactions, of everyone around you, in the most giving and loving ways. I KNOW you to be someone who constantly shares everything she has, consistently does everything she can to build community, and works unceasingly to give loving support to ALL of US around you in countless ways -- large and small.

I would say that better than MOST of US, you remember the lessons of loving connectedness every day and share them without blaming to transform yourself and those of US lucky enough to be around you.

IF you want: I can teach you to be a much better liar. I've got some unfortunate experience in that area.