once upon a time, and then and then and then... until the end (and then i guess i am a better listener than teller is what we just learned)
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My mother had an affair for 10 years with a married man, a handsome, rugged dock-worker with broad shoulders and a beautiful smile. They were still involved when she died of a sudden heart attack at the too-young age of 43. He came to the wake with his wife and six of his eight children. When my four siblings and I saw him, we burst into tears, my older sister sobbing in his arms. At that moment the whole room full of my mother's grieving family and friends figured out what had been going on. Or perhaps they'd known all along.
??
This all happened on Cyprus, at the end of July:
Ballad of the Goddess of Paphos
Came to the desert near the sapphire sea
And hills of asphodel
There we heard the taut gut ring
Upon the wooden bell
And old women wail the Cyprian girl
Who rode the oyster shell
But little grey lizards reigned in the ruin
Of her temple on the hill
Grey as these dust shroud stainéd stumps
Grey as this Paphian air
Grey as the ash heap of Adonis’ pyre
Grey as the memory of Myrrha
And we stood in dust before broken stones
Where Cinyras once was throned
With a pomegranate rotting at our feet
And dogs fighting over bones
We’d come there to worship the oyster girl
With obsidian in her hair
But all that we found was the memory of lies
Even the blue sea was bare
But then we climbed into the hills
Above the sapphire seas
Climbed through silver olives twinkling
And dangling carob seeds
Climbed through pomegranate groves
To find the sacred prayer
Climbed through fields of summer grass
As copper as her hair
And when we found the secret stair
We tumbled to a spring
Beneath the twist of ancient fig
Where the old women sing
And genuflect and bless themselves
And dip bony fingers in
The water from an old stone bowl
Forever bubbling
And old men came with jugs and jars
To fill them at the well
So revive passions with draughts of love
For the foam born Celestial
Then innocents danced the shaded stair
Passion blind and writhing
Amid doves moaning cicadas crying
And their own blood's groaning
And they ran to the old green bowl
To drown in passion's water
And wash themselves in tears of love
Tears of the blue sea’s daughter
Then hush as floating down the stair
The goddess Aphrodite
In her boa of sheer pink foam
And oyster shell bikini
With bald gold-chained pot-bellied Hephaestus
And three white Pomeranians
Dancing in circles and skipping like kids
And whining like spoiled children
We found the Goddess alive and well
Beside the wild asphodel
The myth we sought was in the flowers
And its making always ours
??
Once upon a time there was a rebellious nation who (though shockingly imperfect in their own conduct) fought desperately for their independence. This nation had a great belief in freedom and held it in the highest regard. This nation protected each individual's right (again, quite imperfectly) to their own beliefs and values.
The founders of this nation believed that freedom was worth risking life and limb. They believed that if their ruler was not upholding freedom and justice, that it was up to each person to protest. They would take to the streets to defend their vision of freedom.
Somewhere along the line, after decades of rulers who were dishonest at best, murderers at worst, the nation started to fall into indifference. As this nation's freedoms and equalities disappeared one by one, its citizens started to believe that freedom was a hopeless cause.
The citizens of the nation truly believed that nothing could be done to change the future and that they were destined to be ruled by people who did not hold their beliefs and wishes sacred. This nation had forgotten its original ideals and began to overflow with cynicism and apathy. It had given up hope.
It was at just this time that a great leader appeared. He was strong, balanced, saw the reality of the nation's problems clearly, but also had a vision for the future. This leader showed the struggling nation that black and white thinking was not a viable option, that things could change for the better, and there was indeed hope for our future.
The nation seized the opportunity to NOT rest into the easy comfort of "the devil we know," to reach out for this leader and more importantly, what his presence at this precise time represented, something completely new and long forgotten - freedom.
A joyous outcome, true, yet the future of the nation remains to be seen. Though its citizens magnificently arose to greet the dawn of a new era of freedom, if things do not fall into their preconceived notions of great leader and great nation, will they fall back into hatred and indifference?
Let us all rise up to greet this new era of freedom. Let us shout equality from the rooftops and not let our leaders forget that they are defending our very lives. Let us take this opportunity to never go back to cynicism and apathy, but to seize the rising sun of freedom, shine brilliantly with hope - and take action!
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Once upon a time there was a little girl named Serena*. She had several brothers and sisters, and her parents worked very hard to feed and clothe such a large family. Serena was the oldest of the girls, and helped her mother a lot with the cooking, cleaning, and child care. Serena was very bright and did well in school. She also loved music and learned to play the piano. People often heard her singing as she went about her daily chores; she loved to sing and had a beautiful voice. However, Serena was very shy and had a difficult time making friends. It took her a long time to form friendships. When Serena grew up and went to college, she no longer lived at home with her family. She HAD to learn to make friends - or be very solitary. She learned how to break out of her shyness, little by little. She eventually learned that a drink at parties made it much easier to dance and talk and have fun. Unfortunately for Serena, that drink turned into many, many drinks. She and her friends would go to the opera and symphony, but they always had a drink or two during the intermissions. Serena almost always nodded off during the final act. Drinking became a necessary evil in Serena's life. Eventually the friendships faded and she drank alone at home every night. So sad. One day Serena "hit bottom" with her drinking and ended up in a 28-day spin-dry place. She learned that drinking was only a cover-up of many things she didn't want to face. She learned to face those issues and to deal with them. She is productive at work during the day and seldom home in the evenings. Life is now full of joy and friends and service. Serena had to travel down a dark path to find the light. *Name changed intentionally.
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Once upon a time, there was a little black girl growing up in the Brewster Project of Detroit, Michegan. At age 15 she was spotted by an Ebony/Fashion Fair talent scout and her modeling career took off. She traveled the world wearing the finest designers. Pucci, Gucci, and Florucci.
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Life Story in 5 words:
genius poet went for laughs.
??
That's not really a question, is it?
Anyhow...Once upon a time there were three little girls who went to the Police Academy. And they were each assigned very hazardous duties. But I took them away from all that and now they work for me. My name is Charlie...
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once up, on a time
i did something
something happened
the something kept happening
i waited and waited to do something again
but i knew that i shouldn't
until i could
so i did
while i waited
i watched
what i had done wasn't what was happening
it thought it was god
i knew it wasn't
but i loved it so i didn't want to ruin it
until it almost did
so i did first
that's the second thing i did
i didn't ruin it
i just wait until it stops
it does
it doesn't want to
it still thinks it's god
though it knows it isn't
then i stopped a bullet from entering into my head
and spent two months enjoying the solace
of creating the very chess match i had to 'lose'
knowing that i would only win
the third thing i do is up to all of you
??
"HI Heather," the voice said. It was high-pitched and hinted of excitement,young and earnest, a note so many have forgotten. Heather looked up from her book, smiled and waved. The door was open to her shop and would be for a few more hours. No one was inside. The voice ... well, it belonged to a young boy who was gripping his mother's hand, about to be led up past a gate, up the stairs and into his home.
Home. Where he would read about magical lands suffused with dragons and knights and maidens and superheroes, enraptured by their daring deeds.
Work. Where Heather was, immersing herself in a tale from outer space, a tale set in the future, feeling nothing like the present. Lights shone outside - and in - but closer to earth than the words on the page. She flipped and turned the pages as the hours went by ...
The boy's head hit the pillow first. Later in the night went Heather's. They both dreamed contently.
Tomorrow came, as it's wont to do. Heather and the boy walked towards each other on the street. Hellos were exchanged. And then they stopped - the boy resisting his mother's pull, Heather fighting the ticking clock on her wrist. The boy saw Heather garbed in silver, holding a lance. Heather noticed the boy was garbed in a spacesuit, looking to the heavens. For a moment, time froze. They smiled at each other.
And then they went on their way.
??
A boy was given to the wrong parents (whether intentionally or by accident isn't verifiable). He thereby was deprived of the trappings, adventures, and experience ordained by the pedigree rooted in his DNA. Instead he led a perplexing then simple life. It was the best thing for everybody.
??
And mine...
I'm hearing so many wonderful stories right now, I can't pick just one.
Except:
Once upon a time things were very different and I never thought they'd change. Then they did change.
Monday, November 17, 2008
How do you deal with change? (11/3/08)
kicking and screaming.......
??
I keep it in a jar on top of my refrigerator.
??
put it into a huge bottle in the kitchen and eventually take it to the bank
??
Give it to the homeless guy who hangs out near the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 43rd Streeet.
??
Take a deep breath and open my arms to embrace it. Change is normal, status quo is the unreality.
??
I jump headlong into it. And breathe.
??
I used to freak out. Now that I've realized change is constant I roll with it and quite enjoy it. It brings up quite a few feelings, but those are part of life too.
??
Happy that I got it
I put it in my pocket.
??
It really depends on whether the change was my idea or not. If it was, then I deal with it with great enthusiasm. If it wasn't my idea, then I deal with it with as much grace and acceptance as I can muster. Only later do I tend to realize that changes I force don't usually go very well. Changes that come into my life without my urging are usually for my greater good.
??
With the realization that nothing lasts forever.
??
depends on the change....
??
slowly
??
Depends on change. If it is something big and life changing, I am using accepting and well mannered. If someone moves my shit without asking or they change the lights on my route to work, I get frigging pissed off and start yelling. Seems like it should be reversed sometimes.
??
Gracefully and willingly
??
don't deal with change. It has a way of dealing with me.
??
I am usually pretty good about rolling with the punches. To wit, in the 12+ years I have been with my current company, there have been countless changes. I have had 8 different managers, 15+ coworkers (job specific, not at the company - in that case, closer to 500 including current employees), been through a reorganization, and had numerous jobs added to my position. Through it all, I have remained pretty positive, and I think I've proven over and over that I'm a team player. Which isn't to say I haven't pushed back on occasion when I think things are getting messed up. So far, it's been pretty good.
??
Depends on the type of change and if its coming from within. If I feel like change is being imposed on me, I'll disgruntingly follow. If its a change from within, or change that I agree with, I can be really enthusiastic about it.
??
Change is categorical It is a condition of matter in motion through space. The one thing you can't change is change. The very idea that we have any effect on anything is delusional.
??
Depends on the change. For example, looking forward to January 20th,
but I've never been fond of moving
??
i tell change to change because if change changed i wouldn't have to deal with it. that said, i did tell change to change. change changed. it wasn't as great as i thought so i asked changed to stay the same. it did.
ha ha ha hah aha hahaha
??
I welcome change... end of story.
Change is what keeps my life challenging and vibrant. There is never a situation that I do not wish to improve and the only way to achieve that is through change. Sometimes that means changing my own behavior and sometimes that means trying to influence someone else to change their behavior. Sometimes it means patiently waiting or sometimes being dynamic (move a muscle, change a thought). Change can be inspiring or it can be completely depressing but hopefully it will never stop being something that I embrace in my life until the end of my days. "The only rule that never changes is that everything changes."
??
A combination of acceptance and sugar.
??
And mine...
I welcome change in my own life and congratulate people on the new opportunity when it arrives in theirs.
??
I keep it in a jar on top of my refrigerator.
??
put it into a huge bottle in the kitchen and eventually take it to the bank
??
Give it to the homeless guy who hangs out near the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 43rd Streeet.
??
Take a deep breath and open my arms to embrace it. Change is normal, status quo is the unreality.
??
I jump headlong into it. And breathe.
??
I used to freak out. Now that I've realized change is constant I roll with it and quite enjoy it. It brings up quite a few feelings, but those are part of life too.
??
Happy that I got it
I put it in my pocket.
??
It really depends on whether the change was my idea or not. If it was, then I deal with it with great enthusiasm. If it wasn't my idea, then I deal with it with as much grace and acceptance as I can muster. Only later do I tend to realize that changes I force don't usually go very well. Changes that come into my life without my urging are usually for my greater good.
??
With the realization that nothing lasts forever.
??
depends on the change....
??
slowly
??
Depends on change. If it is something big and life changing, I am using accepting and well mannered. If someone moves my shit without asking or they change the lights on my route to work, I get frigging pissed off and start yelling. Seems like it should be reversed sometimes.
??
Gracefully and willingly
??
don't deal with change. It has a way of dealing with me.
??
I am usually pretty good about rolling with the punches. To wit, in the 12+ years I have been with my current company, there have been countless changes. I have had 8 different managers, 15+ coworkers (job specific, not at the company - in that case, closer to 500 including current employees), been through a reorganization, and had numerous jobs added to my position. Through it all, I have remained pretty positive, and I think I've proven over and over that I'm a team player. Which isn't to say I haven't pushed back on occasion when I think things are getting messed up. So far, it's been pretty good.
??
Depends on the type of change and if its coming from within. If I feel like change is being imposed on me, I'll disgruntingly follow. If its a change from within, or change that I agree with, I can be really enthusiastic about it.
??
Change is categorical It is a condition of matter in motion through space. The one thing you can't change is change. The very idea that we have any effect on anything is delusional.
??
Depends on the change. For example, looking forward to January 20th,
but I've never been fond of moving
??
i tell change to change because if change changed i wouldn't have to deal with it. that said, i did tell change to change. change changed. it wasn't as great as i thought so i asked changed to stay the same. it did.
ha ha ha hah aha hahaha
??
I welcome change... end of story.
Change is what keeps my life challenging and vibrant. There is never a situation that I do not wish to improve and the only way to achieve that is through change. Sometimes that means changing my own behavior and sometimes that means trying to influence someone else to change their behavior. Sometimes it means patiently waiting or sometimes being dynamic (move a muscle, change a thought). Change can be inspiring or it can be completely depressing but hopefully it will never stop being something that I embrace in my life until the end of my days. "The only rule that never changes is that everything changes."
??
A combination of acceptance and sugar.
??
And mine...
I welcome change in my own life and congratulate people on the new opportunity when it arrives in theirs.
Thoughts/feelings about the election? (10/26/08)
I have decided to keep my feelings about the election and politics as of late to myself.
I really don't need to poke the stick of frustration at myself.
??
Honestly, I don't think of this as a blog and I don't really want to discuss politics here.
I like everybody too much.
??
You're damned if you do and damned if you don't!
??
Inspiring vs. Whiny & Bitter
21st Century Leader vs. Cold War Warrior
Brilliance vs Average
Choice vs Anti-Choice
Steady vs Erratic
How can anyone be undecided?
I voted early and have volunteered at the local Obama office. I've given financial donations. I wear my allegiance on my bumper and my chest (Vote Barack Nov 4 t-shirt). I was one of the first 100,000 donors to Obama...back when he was still exploring a run because he moves me, inspires me, gives me a reason to believe we have the stones to make the hard changes and sacrifices necessary to right this ship called America.
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I'm SO very tired of all the bashing. I'll be glad when its OVER.
I'll be happier if Obama-Biden win!
A woman voting for Palin is like a chicken voting for Col Sanders.
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1. the possibility of an african-american president (and an african-american first lady!) moves me deeply and gives me tremendous hope.
2. that the civil rights of gay people are once again up for a popular vote in Calif (and Fla and Ariz) enrages me.
3. the hope I feel about Obama helps temper the disgust I feel about the tyranny of the majority on gay rights.
??
I'm nervous about Prop 8...I just got married last month to my partner of five years and I hope I'll still be married after November 4th.
??
It can be summed up by their initials
MP vs OB
and O will win. He has $150 million to spend still. McCain has $35 Million. Game over.
??
Constantly. Worry, joy over and over.
??
I hold both the Democrats and the Republican Congress responsible for the
catastrophy of the financial markets. All of Congress was complicit in the debacle on Wall St. Its time we jettison the Democratic and Repub. parties in favor of Green/ Libertarian/ Indy Parties.
Our two party system does not work any longer. I say Let the whole thing crumble so a new paradigm of leadership and government may rise from the ashes.
??
Last time I tried you wouldn't put it in the email! [This was an oversight which sometimes happens; answers occasionally get lost. I have a strict no-edit policy. I've since apologized to this participant.] I guess its safe now......
Definitly the most important of my time. I'm tired of those "on the fence". As David Sedaris explained its like being offered a chicken dinner or shit with broken glass in it, the people on the fence stop to ask how the chicken is cooked. It usually comes down to covert racism, I just wish we can at least be honest about it and move on as a country.
I've already wriiten letters to local newspapers on my feelings about Palin. I won't even go there, but I can just say that McCain's slogan of "COuntry First" needs serious reconsideration. It was an obvious attempt to get Hillary's voters. Which made me realize how stupid he must think women are.
Oddly enough I think I had much more respect for McCain before the election, although I didn't agree with him. Now I'd be hard put to conjure up basic respect. Its kinda sad to see what this election has done to him. Definitly branded the maverick.
This election has given me hope though. Obama's campaign has definitly energized citizens and for the first time, in my life at least, I felt motivated to be a part of the process. Its kind of like we're being handed a chance to get out country back. We ARE the change we've been waiting for. So god help us if there's another"problem" with the polls on election day because I think this America ain't gonna stand for that! So at least Americans are more INVOLVED, so as far as I'm concerned Obama has already won. His campaign has truly motivated and inspired many Americans.
??
When Obama wins, the economy will improve overnight. Remember when Bill Clinton won the first time? His “It’s the Economy, Stupid” focus got him elected, and once in the White House, our “bad economy” seemed to just go away, mainly because we all could just exhale, believing that a smart man was finally at the helm.
Obama shines far brighter than Clinton, as his ego seems to be fully in check. I can only imagine what effect his new presidency will have on our economy. That’s my prediction, anyway.
??
scared that Mc Cain/Palin will win. hoping that racisim doesn't keep Obama from getting elected. Worried about Prop 8, worried that it will pass. Hopeful that maybe things could change with this election, but gun shy from the past 2 elections. I will be at the polls voting for Obama, and No on Prop 8 and hope for the best.
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Oh please oh please oh please let Obama win.
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it's a turning point. a big one. but regardless of who wins the biggest test will be how people respond.
??
Obama please!
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This should have been asked months earlier to save some people grief.
I am a political junkie, and I have been since 1974. Things are a little bit different now. Elections can be watched a minute at a time now because of the intensely increased rate of communication. Since this one is arguably the most important in decade, a lot of people have fallen in the trap of watching it minute-by-minute, and through this trap has fallen many people who were politically apathetic in the past. Someone was explaining how the Phillies winning the World Series had hurt McCain's chances to me today. (Yikes: eyeballs peeled a quarter of an inch away; what does the forest look like when you eyeball leaves?) I made a decision months ago to back off. I still read my daily paper (The New York Times) and other less frequently published periodicals, but I only took in-depth looks at the election every two weeks, starting in July. For the past three weeks, it has been one week at a time.
I have been able to breathe. I have been able to use my thirty plus years of junkiedom to see past things people have been tearing their hair out about. The only real moments of worry I have had have been caused since July by Bill and Hillary Clinton. I knew exactly who Sarah Palin was and the moment I saw her face as McCain's Vice-Presidential nominee, I told everyone the election was over (although I really think Obama won it with his speech in the Spring about his pastor). And (drumroll) Obama is going to get at least 330 electoral votes (maybe up to 50 more) and win handily. If he wins in Maryland, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania and also the other states he is expected to win, even if he loses Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, he will eke by. It will be a planetary shock if he loses, because he will win a bunch of those states. The Republican Party can cheat their asses off everywhere, but this will not replay 2000.
Let's hope that Sarah Palin really does become the Republican choice in 2012. Far freaking out. That will replay 1964.
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i love how it shows people's true colors. i hate that i've lost a few friends to the dark side.
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given that in 2000 bush co. proved the election process useless, why are we getting geared up for it. if obama isn't elected a silent revolution begins. the only useful use of that office is obama. but as you invest, invest in this:
America has no answer to the 'dream'. Obama does.
it will require America to be black period.
if you want to stay white, vote mcain on back to washington.
if you want to heal the world, write in 'no biden 'cuz ain't no hidin'
and expect that obama show you a whole new way of life.
if you don't expect that, don't vote. he's not here to less than slam.
one week later:
what happened to san francisco?
obama!
??
more shall be revealed!
??
I feel like a second class citizen I'm not thought of in the candidates - obama might have some compassion for gay people?
??
I hate that when I get home from work every day I have between 3 and 8 pre-recorded voice mail messages from various campaigns, urging me to vote this way or that. I delete them without listening to them.
I hate that in my mailbox every day I have ten or more pieces of direct mail with a glamour shot of someone running for School Board or featuring ridiculous scare tactics. "What if you dialed 911 and no one answered? WELL THAT'S WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU VOTE NO ON PROP. 8!!!" (It's almost that bad.) I recycle them without reading them.
I take my voting responsibility seriously. When I want to gather information to help me make up my mind, the last place I want that information to come from is from someone that has such a vested interest in the outcome that they pour money into trying to influence my vote.
Complete waste of money, technology, paper, and my time.
??
At first, I thought both candidates suck, and now I think one really sucks more than the other. I hope Obama takes the victory. Then I hope we really change a lot of things in this country, I am surprised how much greed and corruption exists in the government and among the rich. As a middle class homeowner in SF, I feel grateful for what I have, but there are so many things to improve, we can no longer afford to ignore them. I don't think it should fall on one man's shoulder's either. Obama may make some change, but the rest of us have to do our part. It starts in our communities.
??
I haven't watched any of the debates b/c they make me too angry. I feel very cynical about politics in this country, i really want Obama to win but it seems like once people become politicians, their morality goes out the window. I don't think that either candidate will bring about they radical change that I think needs to occur for our country to survive, let alone prosper. I just have a sad feeling that America has been ruined and I don't know if we can turn it around. Or if we can if politicians are the ones to do it. Also the amount of money these guys have spent to get elected sickens me.
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There was once an expression floating around saying "If voting changed anything it would be illegal!" I hate falling into that cynicism but I have a strong twinge of it. I'll vote for Obama -- McCain would be an improvement over what is there (though I think the demonization of Bush is misinformed and misled; he's just a schmoe) -- but my hopes for Obama are not high. I hope he surprises me but I need something to go with the fresh face and YesWeCan.
Frankly, I'm afraid we get the representation we deserve. When peoples hearts change then the system will not matter.
See you at the polls!
??
And mine...
I've got three political signs up in my house right now. In the windows; Cindy Sheehan for congress and No on 8 (the so-called marriage protection amendment to CA's constitution). And on the wall behind me right now is a beautiful poster of Obama with the simple caption "Hope". I dreamed that Obama got elected and I cried I was so happy.
I really don't need to poke the stick of frustration at myself.
??
Honestly, I don't think of this as a blog and I don't really want to discuss politics here.
I like everybody too much.
??
You're damned if you do and damned if you don't!
??
Inspiring vs. Whiny & Bitter
21st Century Leader vs. Cold War Warrior
Brilliance vs Average
Choice vs Anti-Choice
Steady vs Erratic
How can anyone be undecided?
I voted early and have volunteered at the local Obama office. I've given financial donations. I wear my allegiance on my bumper and my chest (Vote Barack Nov 4 t-shirt). I was one of the first 100,000 donors to Obama...back when he was still exploring a run because he moves me, inspires me, gives me a reason to believe we have the stones to make the hard changes and sacrifices necessary to right this ship called America.
??
I'm SO very tired of all the bashing. I'll be glad when its OVER.
I'll be happier if Obama-Biden win!
A woman voting for Palin is like a chicken voting for Col Sanders.
??
1. the possibility of an african-american president (and an african-american first lady!) moves me deeply and gives me tremendous hope.
2. that the civil rights of gay people are once again up for a popular vote in Calif (and Fla and Ariz) enrages me.
3. the hope I feel about Obama helps temper the disgust I feel about the tyranny of the majority on gay rights.
??
I'm nervous about Prop 8...I just got married last month to my partner of five years and I hope I'll still be married after November 4th.
??
It can be summed up by their initials
MP vs OB
and O will win. He has $150 million to spend still. McCain has $35 Million. Game over.
??
Constantly. Worry, joy over and over.
??
I hold both the Democrats and the Republican Congress responsible for the
catastrophy of the financial markets. All of Congress was complicit in the debacle on Wall St. Its time we jettison the Democratic and Repub. parties in favor of Green/ Libertarian/ Indy Parties.
Our two party system does not work any longer. I say Let the whole thing crumble so a new paradigm of leadership and government may rise from the ashes.
??
Last time I tried you wouldn't put it in the email! [This was an oversight which sometimes happens; answers occasionally get lost. I have a strict no-edit policy. I've since apologized to this participant.] I guess its safe now......
Definitly the most important of my time. I'm tired of those "on the fence". As David Sedaris explained its like being offered a chicken dinner or shit with broken glass in it, the people on the fence stop to ask how the chicken is cooked. It usually comes down to covert racism, I just wish we can at least be honest about it and move on as a country.
I've already wriiten letters to local newspapers on my feelings about Palin. I won't even go there, but I can just say that McCain's slogan of "COuntry First" needs serious reconsideration. It was an obvious attempt to get Hillary's voters. Which made me realize how stupid he must think women are.
Oddly enough I think I had much more respect for McCain before the election, although I didn't agree with him. Now I'd be hard put to conjure up basic respect. Its kinda sad to see what this election has done to him. Definitly branded the maverick.
This election has given me hope though. Obama's campaign has definitly energized citizens and for the first time, in my life at least, I felt motivated to be a part of the process. Its kind of like we're being handed a chance to get out country back. We ARE the change we've been waiting for. So god help us if there's another"problem" with the polls on election day because I think this America ain't gonna stand for that! So at least Americans are more INVOLVED, so as far as I'm concerned Obama has already won. His campaign has truly motivated and inspired many Americans.
??
When Obama wins, the economy will improve overnight. Remember when Bill Clinton won the first time? His “It’s the Economy, Stupid” focus got him elected, and once in the White House, our “bad economy” seemed to just go away, mainly because we all could just exhale, believing that a smart man was finally at the helm.
Obama shines far brighter than Clinton, as his ego seems to be fully in check. I can only imagine what effect his new presidency will have on our economy. That’s my prediction, anyway.
??
scared that Mc Cain/Palin will win. hoping that racisim doesn't keep Obama from getting elected. Worried about Prop 8, worried that it will pass. Hopeful that maybe things could change with this election, but gun shy from the past 2 elections. I will be at the polls voting for Obama, and No on Prop 8 and hope for the best.
??
Oh please oh please oh please let Obama win.
??
it's a turning point. a big one. but regardless of who wins the biggest test will be how people respond.
??
Obama please!
??
This should have been asked months earlier to save some people grief.
I am a political junkie, and I have been since 1974. Things are a little bit different now. Elections can be watched a minute at a time now because of the intensely increased rate of communication. Since this one is arguably the most important in decade, a lot of people have fallen in the trap of watching it minute-by-minute, and through this trap has fallen many people who were politically apathetic in the past. Someone was explaining how the Phillies winning the World Series had hurt McCain's chances to me today. (Yikes: eyeballs peeled a quarter of an inch away; what does the forest look like when you eyeball leaves?) I made a decision months ago to back off. I still read my daily paper (The New York Times) and other less frequently published periodicals, but I only took in-depth looks at the election every two weeks, starting in July. For the past three weeks, it has been one week at a time.
I have been able to breathe. I have been able to use my thirty plus years of junkiedom to see past things people have been tearing their hair out about. The only real moments of worry I have had have been caused since July by Bill and Hillary Clinton. I knew exactly who Sarah Palin was and the moment I saw her face as McCain's Vice-Presidential nominee, I told everyone the election was over (although I really think Obama won it with his speech in the Spring about his pastor). And (drumroll) Obama is going to get at least 330 electoral votes (maybe up to 50 more) and win handily. If he wins in Maryland, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania and also the other states he is expected to win, even if he loses Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, he will eke by. It will be a planetary shock if he loses, because he will win a bunch of those states. The Republican Party can cheat their asses off everywhere, but this will not replay 2000.
Let's hope that Sarah Palin really does become the Republican choice in 2012. Far freaking out. That will replay 1964.
??
i love how it shows people's true colors. i hate that i've lost a few friends to the dark side.
??
given that in 2000 bush co. proved the election process useless, why are we getting geared up for it. if obama isn't elected a silent revolution begins. the only useful use of that office is obama. but as you invest, invest in this:
America has no answer to the 'dream'. Obama does.
it will require America to be black period.
if you want to stay white, vote mcain on back to washington.
if you want to heal the world, write in 'no biden 'cuz ain't no hidin'
and expect that obama show you a whole new way of life.
if you don't expect that, don't vote. he's not here to less than slam.
one week later:
what happened to san francisco?
obama!
??
more shall be revealed!
??
I feel like a second class citizen I'm not thought of in the candidates - obama might have some compassion for gay people?
??
I hate that when I get home from work every day I have between 3 and 8 pre-recorded voice mail messages from various campaigns, urging me to vote this way or that. I delete them without listening to them.
I hate that in my mailbox every day I have ten or more pieces of direct mail with a glamour shot of someone running for School Board or featuring ridiculous scare tactics. "What if you dialed 911 and no one answered? WELL THAT'S WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU VOTE NO ON PROP. 8!!!" (It's almost that bad.) I recycle them without reading them.
I take my voting responsibility seriously. When I want to gather information to help me make up my mind, the last place I want that information to come from is from someone that has such a vested interest in the outcome that they pour money into trying to influence my vote.
Complete waste of money, technology, paper, and my time.
??
At first, I thought both candidates suck, and now I think one really sucks more than the other. I hope Obama takes the victory. Then I hope we really change a lot of things in this country, I am surprised how much greed and corruption exists in the government and among the rich. As a middle class homeowner in SF, I feel grateful for what I have, but there are so many things to improve, we can no longer afford to ignore them. I don't think it should fall on one man's shoulder's either. Obama may make some change, but the rest of us have to do our part. It starts in our communities.
??
I haven't watched any of the debates b/c they make me too angry. I feel very cynical about politics in this country, i really want Obama to win but it seems like once people become politicians, their morality goes out the window. I don't think that either candidate will bring about they radical change that I think needs to occur for our country to survive, let alone prosper. I just have a sad feeling that America has been ruined and I don't know if we can turn it around. Or if we can if politicians are the ones to do it. Also the amount of money these guys have spent to get elected sickens me.
??
There was once an expression floating around saying "If voting changed anything it would be illegal!" I hate falling into that cynicism but I have a strong twinge of it. I'll vote for Obama -- McCain would be an improvement over what is there (though I think the demonization of Bush is misinformed and misled; he's just a schmoe) -- but my hopes for Obama are not high. I hope he surprises me but I need something to go with the fresh face and YesWeCan.
Frankly, I'm afraid we get the representation we deserve. When peoples hearts change then the system will not matter.
See you at the polls!
??
And mine...
I've got three political signs up in my house right now. In the windows; Cindy Sheehan for congress and No on 8 (the so-called marriage protection amendment to CA's constitution). And on the wall behind me right now is a beautiful poster of Obama with the simple caption "Hope". I dreamed that Obama got elected and I cried I was so happy.
What would you like us to know about you? (10/19/08)
I've been a QOTW participant for years. Y'all know more about me than most folks. I think what's more on my mind is how much more alike we all are than we are different from one another. The sum total of our differences doesn't come close to our similarities. The desire for love, genuineness, meaningful work, the value (and trials and tribulations) of family and friends in our lives, our secret fears and greatest desires, our vulnerabilities, guilt, fallibility...all pretty much the same. While the scenery and the sound track may vary greatly, the milestones are pretty much the same. WE ARE NOT ALONE.
??
I'm fabulous!!!
??
I had a baby on Saturday!
??
I am a highly competitive, type-A firebrand trapped in the body of a
peace-loving yoga teacher.
OK, I don't *want* you to know that, but now you do.
??
as little as possible!
??
Over the past 4 years, my smiling face has been pictured on about 125,000 Cheerios boxes.
??
I'm a friend of [The Curious].
I like buttermilk straight up by the glass.
I'm seeking the healthy balance.
I like the people that my kids are growing into which is part luck, part parenting and mostly them.
I consider pictures of flowers to be porn and I like my porn.
??
I am a 63 year old woman that looks a lot younger (good skin care for decades), a bit heavier than I would like (too sedintary a life-style), 20+ years without cigarettes and booze, intelligent, spiritual, creative, musical (but the younger folks' brand of "music" I find unmusical - I guess that's a typical reaction from someone my age). I still feel like the young woman I was in college, but my body disputes that attitude strongly. Part of what causes the sedintary life-style is the sciatica, arthritis and bulging discs (in 3 places along my spine) now resident in my earthly shell. Young women who know me consider me to be a wise woman. I guess I've reached my "Crone" stage in life.
??
Underneath it all, I am just scared.
??
You know, I think the best answer to this question is to quote Woody Allen quoting Groucho Marx, "I wouldn't belong to any club that would have me as a member." Yet, having said that, I gotta say, "But we're all Bozos on this bus!"
??
I think Kung Fu movies are a grossly underestimated form of entertainment.
??
That when I get knocked down, I always get back up again....eventually
??
I have a hard time "just being" and I want you to love me anyway.
I'm overly ambitious and I want you to love me anyway.
I am maybe bi-polar, maybe just intense. And want you to love me anyway.
I very badly want you to love me.
And want you to love me anyway.
LOVE,
me
??
That I originated on a star planet. I would like to show it to all of you....and maybe I will.....but only when we finally activate our inter-dimensionary potential from our (temporary) earth base station. I am one of the fallen starlets from an explosion that ejected me from there. I dreamt about it one night.....and I believe my dreams.
??
i'm about 4 and still sitting on a stairwell. likelihood is that you'll never know me and i have to wake up and walk away somehow from life, no matter what's happened since.
??
you probably already know since I tend to compulsively self-disclose. But here goes:
That I am able to help others in ways I cannot yet help myself. That I come alive, at work, and am skilled interpersonally in a way I am not in my friendships or romantic relationships. That I often can't translate the intensity of what I feel in the way I want, and end up feeling tongue tied and inadequate. I am often deeply touched by others and end up feeling foolish when I can't find the words to articulate my thoughts. That I am envious of others, and the qualities they have that I lack. That I feel forgettable, disposable, to the very people I feel a connection with and value. I feel alone in a room full of people. Sometimes I shut the door at work and cry.
??
I get scared about the most obscure things. And then it comes out in a weird way.
??
That I'm about as open and honest as you'll find!
??
I'm proud that I scored a 96% on my written exam and a 100% on my practical exam! Now I'm on to manicures and pedicures.
??
i've goals I've not realized
??
If you are a regular reader of QOTW, you already know more about me than a great many people. You just don't know who I am and it's not my nature to reveal that information in an anonymous crowd. You've learned that I'm a single father of two boys, I don't drink, I play guitar and write songs. I read a great deal and my spirituality runs toward zen buddhism. I have a checkered and colorful past and I am interested in the mythology of the Old West. I'm lonely a great deal of the time but I'm getting used to it, although I do have a number of close friends. I have finally, for the most part, learned to get more joy from helping others than I get satisfaction from serving myself and that's probably the most significant thing about me.
??
That I believe in God though I may have no idea what God Is or Isn't. And that I can wiggle one ear at a time.
??
And mine...
You already know so much.
??
I'm fabulous!!!
??
I had a baby on Saturday!
??
I am a highly competitive, type-A firebrand trapped in the body of a
peace-loving yoga teacher.
OK, I don't *want* you to know that, but now you do.
??
as little as possible!
??
Over the past 4 years, my smiling face has been pictured on about 125,000 Cheerios boxes.
??
I'm a friend of [The Curious].
I like buttermilk straight up by the glass.
I'm seeking the healthy balance.
I like the people that my kids are growing into which is part luck, part parenting and mostly them.
I consider pictures of flowers to be porn and I like my porn.
??
I am a 63 year old woman that looks a lot younger (good skin care for decades), a bit heavier than I would like (too sedintary a life-style), 20+ years without cigarettes and booze, intelligent, spiritual, creative, musical (but the younger folks' brand of "music" I find unmusical - I guess that's a typical reaction from someone my age). I still feel like the young woman I was in college, but my body disputes that attitude strongly. Part of what causes the sedintary life-style is the sciatica, arthritis and bulging discs (in 3 places along my spine) now resident in my earthly shell. Young women who know me consider me to be a wise woman. I guess I've reached my "Crone" stage in life.
??
Underneath it all, I am just scared.
??
You know, I think the best answer to this question is to quote Woody Allen quoting Groucho Marx, "I wouldn't belong to any club that would have me as a member." Yet, having said that, I gotta say, "But we're all Bozos on this bus!"
??
I think Kung Fu movies are a grossly underestimated form of entertainment.
??
That when I get knocked down, I always get back up again....eventually
??
I have a hard time "just being" and I want you to love me anyway.
I'm overly ambitious and I want you to love me anyway.
I am maybe bi-polar, maybe just intense. And want you to love me anyway.
I very badly want you to love me.
And want you to love me anyway.
LOVE,
me
??
That I originated on a star planet. I would like to show it to all of you....and maybe I will.....but only when we finally activate our inter-dimensionary potential from our (temporary) earth base station. I am one of the fallen starlets from an explosion that ejected me from there. I dreamt about it one night.....and I believe my dreams.
??
i'm about 4 and still sitting on a stairwell. likelihood is that you'll never know me and i have to wake up and walk away somehow from life, no matter what's happened since.
??
you probably already know since I tend to compulsively self-disclose. But here goes:
That I am able to help others in ways I cannot yet help myself. That I come alive, at work, and am skilled interpersonally in a way I am not in my friendships or romantic relationships. That I often can't translate the intensity of what I feel in the way I want, and end up feeling tongue tied and inadequate. I am often deeply touched by others and end up feeling foolish when I can't find the words to articulate my thoughts. That I am envious of others, and the qualities they have that I lack. That I feel forgettable, disposable, to the very people I feel a connection with and value. I feel alone in a room full of people. Sometimes I shut the door at work and cry.
??
I get scared about the most obscure things. And then it comes out in a weird way.
??
That I'm about as open and honest as you'll find!
??
I'm proud that I scored a 96% on my written exam and a 100% on my practical exam! Now I'm on to manicures and pedicures.
??
i've goals I've not realized
??
If you are a regular reader of QOTW, you already know more about me than a great many people. You just don't know who I am and it's not my nature to reveal that information in an anonymous crowd. You've learned that I'm a single father of two boys, I don't drink, I play guitar and write songs. I read a great deal and my spirituality runs toward zen buddhism. I have a checkered and colorful past and I am interested in the mythology of the Old West. I'm lonely a great deal of the time but I'm getting used to it, although I do have a number of close friends. I have finally, for the most part, learned to get more joy from helping others than I get satisfaction from serving myself and that's probably the most significant thing about me.
??
That I believe in God though I may have no idea what God Is or Isn't. And that I can wiggle one ear at a time.
??
And mine...
You already know so much.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
What was your second chance?
as best as i can put it 'where the rubber meets the scalpel'.
??
In junior high and highschool, falling into a crowd of friends that had good values and good parenting. Otherwise my two alcoholic parents and my general lack of motivation, was not a good outlook for a youngster. My group of friends were on the college track and were generally afraid of getting in trouble, so we usually stayed clear of trouble.
??
I'm not sure I've had it yet.
??
I had a fatal (obviously temporary) reaction to Demerol. My heart and breathing stopped for about 4 minutes. I did not see the light, but I did experience a wonderful respite from all the pain (physical, mental, emotional) that I wasn't even aware I had. What I felt was a wonderful sense of peace, welcome, fullness, expansiveness. My fear of dying has been nearly eliminated. I was at a low point in my life when this happened and turned my life around through the 12 Steps. Nearly 20 years later, I remain grateful for that glimpse into the other side.
??
I've had many second chances. But getting sober was my first second chance.....
??
I must be fortunate, because I haven't needed one. So I'm holding it in reserve...just in case.
??
Actually I feel like virtually every moment is a second chance to be compassionate, forgiving, accepting - if only I remember to see it that way.
??
Seeing as how I'm going back to school (AGAIN), I think I'm technically on my third chance. We get, like, seven or eight chances, right?
??
Everyday is another chance
??
Probably my second divorce? Not planning on doing that M-thing again.
??
Probably going on the meds.
??
Oh, there have been so many second chances! One doesn't live to the ripe young age of 63 without several of them along the way.
Getting sober was the most important second chance, and I very gratefully didn't let that one slip through me fingers.
??
When my company closed after 31 years because of the economy, it's giving me a second chance to do a career that I love! If ya gotta work til you're 75, ya better love it!
??
I'm still waiting.
??
Gender Change + 12 Step Recovery = Second Chance.........a re-incarnation without having to leave the body.
??
Moving onto a farm that turned out to be a cult. Believe it or not, the experience changed/saved my life in so many good ways that I will always be grateful I was a part of it. That being said, I left before it got really bad. I hope the authorities raid it sometime soon and the leader gets sent to jail for some of the things I found out later about what went on while I was there.
??
I told her about everything. All the dishonesty. All the mistakes. All the bad decisions. I laid it all on the line and she gave me a second chance. I wish my life were a fairy tale but it didn't end there. Two months later and I blew my second, and last, chance.
??
Damn. I've had a lot of them. Three highlights:
#1 With my old therapist, who assured me, "It's your life - you can take it," which made me feel there was at least one thing in my life I could do.
#2 With my first sponsor, who told me, "Of course you're having a spiritual crisis. You've made sex your god." She also kept pointing out when I would repeatedly tell her how fucked up all my romantic relationships were, "It's you."
#3 With my spiritual teacher, who has taught and gven me so much, I can't possibly repeat it all here. However, just the other day, after discovering I set my clock ahead 15 minutes to get myself places on time, she said with a smile and raised eyebrow, "So you lie to yourself."
??
The first time around, I let myself be emotionally and physically beaten because I didn't know I could have any say in the matter. Now I have a lot of say in the matter, and instead of feeling beaten, I am being transported to a higher spiritual plane. And for me that comes from intense physical sensation. I love it.
today when i realized i have a second chance at being grateful, slowing down and not having to have everything stat! Thank god, patience surrender. I could watch the people move and not be in a rush. I can taste my food instead of swallowing it whole. I can watch a movie instead of paying bills or being on the internet.
??
getting 'opposite sex hormones' and going through 'second puberty.'
??
My second chance was a thin lipped, Scottish, research scientist, who knew all the words to the Dean Martin songs I love..."When the moon hits your eye...." Oh my, there is still a tug of the heart strings there. Do you believe there are third chances in life for us?
??
Yes. I had received an invitation to work as a rail road person with Union Pacific. I turned it down due to the fact that I wasn't committed to the idea of having a career. I regretted that decision, and hoped to have another chance to apply for the job again. I did, when they invited me to take a test for the position. Needless to say, I failed. Thus, there goes my second chance.
??
Once when I was much younger and wilder, I got in a fight with my bosses boyfriend (who was sort of her boss) and quit my job. I was so angry and frustrated I strapped my back pack and a case of beer on the back of my motorcycle and headed off toward North Carolina (from Texas). Almost to Houston, a trucker called me in for doing 90 miles an hour when I passed him and I was pulled over for my one and only DWI arrest. After a couple of days I ended up in the Harris County Jail in Houston which makes "the tombs" in New York look like an NYU mixer. A day later my parents had called an uncle of mine who was a lawyer and partner in a bail bond outfit right across the street from the jail. He picked me up and took me down to his beach house on Galveston Island. We stayed there for the better part of a week. I helped him build a back porch and we went out to a country western dance joint and, yes, drank beer together. He was the very first person who treated me with respect even after I had behaved very badly. I never got that from my parents. I keep him in my life constantly even though we're 2000 miles apart and, divorced from my father's sister, he's not officially part of the family. But he'll always be my favorite uncle.
??
The one before my third, fourth, fifth.... I can give you the corny but true recovery story -- my version -- suffice to say every day is a second chance.
??
And mine...
After years of immaturity, self-centeredness and emotional dependency, I am learning to be self-sufficient. Along with this comes learning how to love and be loved. Today's second chance, to open up to my sister about my spiritual life and to feel heard and accepted, has left me feeling full of the love and joy I never thought I was allowed to have. I am very grateful to have had a second chance to be a better sister.
??
In junior high and highschool, falling into a crowd of friends that had good values and good parenting. Otherwise my two alcoholic parents and my general lack of motivation, was not a good outlook for a youngster. My group of friends were on the college track and were generally afraid of getting in trouble, so we usually stayed clear of trouble.
??
I'm not sure I've had it yet.
??
I had a fatal (obviously temporary) reaction to Demerol. My heart and breathing stopped for about 4 minutes. I did not see the light, but I did experience a wonderful respite from all the pain (physical, mental, emotional) that I wasn't even aware I had. What I felt was a wonderful sense of peace, welcome, fullness, expansiveness. My fear of dying has been nearly eliminated. I was at a low point in my life when this happened and turned my life around through the 12 Steps. Nearly 20 years later, I remain grateful for that glimpse into the other side.
??
I've had many second chances. But getting sober was my first second chance.....
??
I must be fortunate, because I haven't needed one. So I'm holding it in reserve...just in case.
??
Actually I feel like virtually every moment is a second chance to be compassionate, forgiving, accepting - if only I remember to see it that way.
??
Seeing as how I'm going back to school (AGAIN), I think I'm technically on my third chance. We get, like, seven or eight chances, right?
??
Everyday is another chance
??
Probably my second divorce? Not planning on doing that M-thing again.
??
Probably going on the meds.
??
Oh, there have been so many second chances! One doesn't live to the ripe young age of 63 without several of them along the way.
Getting sober was the most important second chance, and I very gratefully didn't let that one slip through me fingers.
??
When my company closed after 31 years because of the economy, it's giving me a second chance to do a career that I love! If ya gotta work til you're 75, ya better love it!
??
I'm still waiting.
??
Gender Change + 12 Step Recovery = Second Chance.........a re-incarnation without having to leave the body.
??
Moving onto a farm that turned out to be a cult. Believe it or not, the experience changed/saved my life in so many good ways that I will always be grateful I was a part of it. That being said, I left before it got really bad. I hope the authorities raid it sometime soon and the leader gets sent to jail for some of the things I found out later about what went on while I was there.
??
I told her about everything. All the dishonesty. All the mistakes. All the bad decisions. I laid it all on the line and she gave me a second chance. I wish my life were a fairy tale but it didn't end there. Two months later and I blew my second, and last, chance.
??
Damn. I've had a lot of them. Three highlights:
#1 With my old therapist, who assured me, "It's your life - you can take it," which made me feel there was at least one thing in my life I could do.
#2 With my first sponsor, who told me, "Of course you're having a spiritual crisis. You've made sex your god." She also kept pointing out when I would repeatedly tell her how fucked up all my romantic relationships were, "It's you."
#3 With my spiritual teacher, who has taught and gven me so much, I can't possibly repeat it all here. However, just the other day, after discovering I set my clock ahead 15 minutes to get myself places on time, she said with a smile and raised eyebrow, "So you lie to yourself."
??
The first time around, I let myself be emotionally and physically beaten because I didn't know I could have any say in the matter. Now I have a lot of say in the matter, and instead of feeling beaten, I am being transported to a higher spiritual plane. And for me that comes from intense physical sensation. I love it.
today when i realized i have a second chance at being grateful, slowing down and not having to have everything stat! Thank god, patience surrender. I could watch the people move and not be in a rush. I can taste my food instead of swallowing it whole. I can watch a movie instead of paying bills or being on the internet.
??
getting 'opposite sex hormones' and going through 'second puberty.'
??
My second chance was a thin lipped, Scottish, research scientist, who knew all the words to the Dean Martin songs I love..."When the moon hits your eye...." Oh my, there is still a tug of the heart strings there. Do you believe there are third chances in life for us?
??
Yes. I had received an invitation to work as a rail road person with Union Pacific. I turned it down due to the fact that I wasn't committed to the idea of having a career. I regretted that decision, and hoped to have another chance to apply for the job again. I did, when they invited me to take a test for the position. Needless to say, I failed. Thus, there goes my second chance.
??
Once when I was much younger and wilder, I got in a fight with my bosses boyfriend (who was sort of her boss) and quit my job. I was so angry and frustrated I strapped my back pack and a case of beer on the back of my motorcycle and headed off toward North Carolina (from Texas). Almost to Houston, a trucker called me in for doing 90 miles an hour when I passed him and I was pulled over for my one and only DWI arrest. After a couple of days I ended up in the Harris County Jail in Houston which makes "the tombs" in New York look like an NYU mixer. A day later my parents had called an uncle of mine who was a lawyer and partner in a bail bond outfit right across the street from the jail. He picked me up and took me down to his beach house on Galveston Island. We stayed there for the better part of a week. I helped him build a back porch and we went out to a country western dance joint and, yes, drank beer together. He was the very first person who treated me with respect even after I had behaved very badly. I never got that from my parents. I keep him in my life constantly even though we're 2000 miles apart and, divorced from my father's sister, he's not officially part of the family. But he'll always be my favorite uncle.
??
The one before my third, fourth, fifth.... I can give you the corny but true recovery story -- my version -- suffice to say every day is a second chance.
??
And mine...
After years of immaturity, self-centeredness and emotional dependency, I am learning to be self-sufficient. Along with this comes learning how to love and be loved. Today's second chance, to open up to my sister about my spiritual life and to feel heard and accepted, has left me feeling full of the love and joy I never thought I was allowed to have. I am very grateful to have had a second chance to be a better sister.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
What if you were a different gender?
Suffice to say I wouldn't care about my reputation.
??
I am.
??
Then I would be the kind of man that treated women like his mama taught him, under a single parent house hold in old new york poverty. I would join the navy too young, and get into loads of trouble, having great stories of fool's errands. I would be the kind of man that was a little old fashioned in mannerisms, in love with old music and the kind that would serenade a person under the window at least once. I would be tasteful, well spoken, would consider my words carefully, I would be a lover of women. I would be true but I would also have many loves in one life time. I would be so devoted to women that I would devote time painting the woman form. Or photographing, or just making love to one good woman all the time. I would have good friends from all walks of life. I would finely meet a woman that I would want to grow old with, not out of attraction although that is there too immensely in the beginning, but a woman that had the right heart, and I would make sacrifices for structure and support...and meet the woman in the middle, growing together sharing dreams and tragedies while building at first a home of two. (But because I am a man, it would be far more simple.) I would go through an arrogant youth. I would be infatuated with great thinkers and carry myself with dignity. I would also make tons of mistakes, hurt feelings at times, once or twice make my identity based on my profession, lose my temper, but I would never result to violence. I would be a man with a great sense of humor, and because of this ability to laugh on the side of error, I would have a great life. I would also be handy and take simple joys and pleasures out of every day activities that involved fixing problems. The best man I would be in my entire life time would be the man I would be in old age...from my arrogant world traveling rascallion youth to my romance period, to my maturity and dignity as a husband, father and grandpa, to my death in my suit, I would be the kind of man that had an open mind, but also I would not live so abundantly in my emotions, as I do so much as a woman. I would respect women for their incredible compassion. But I think as a man, I would find myself a provider. I would grow into old age and be the best as an old man, retired and fixing things for my family, taking great joy out of projects and old music, be appalled by my one time beloved NY city, or travel but be happy to be content in my garage and around the long dinner table full of hardy nostalgia, die a slow but not too slow death full of good byes and last meetings at monumental events, looking back at having sacrificed an adventurous life some where with in the confused middle life of falling in love after solitude and the open seas..for simplicity and patience, kindness providing for generation. If I were a man, I would be my grandfather.
??
I would have a difficult time finding clothes!
??
two things that I havent experienced in this lifetime..........child birth (due to lack of uterus and female reproductive system) and bisexuality.........I'm hardwired for men and just can't go there with a woman. But I believe I've experienced all of those things in other lifetimes so I'm OK with skipping the baby thing this time around. I've made peace with my "psychic" womb and transgendered body, so I identify as a "third gender" person.
??
I'd have my tubes tied ASAP!
??
I'd have to fly to Denmark and get the operation.
??
I’m glad I’m female. If I were male, I don’t think I’d like the pressure of not crying, because I cry all the time, over anything…happiness, sadness, cute kids, old ladies, that curiously touching yet manipulative commercial, etc. If I were a guy, I’d have to edit a lot.
??
I often thought I was a gay man in my past life anyhow...
??
As a homo, I already do gender differently by breaking the gender law that says men are supposed to be with women, blah blah blah. But I LOVE being a gender outlaw. I also love being a guy so my initial reaction is that I'd be sad not to be one.
That said, if I was female, I'd like to be like Joan Jett -- tough as nails, as femmy as I want to be, and unapologetic about all of it.
??
i'd make a lot more money for doing the same job.
??
I have a 29 yr. old son who is me in the opposite gender. Doors to amazing opportunities readily open for him. He's made and lost a couple of million this year alone. Because he has so little initial resistance, he often fails to fully appreciate situations. He relies more on charm than ability. His smile wins people over, but the lack of substance has ends up kicking his ass later. I can see my struggles helped me develop personally and professionally. I see how the ease of being a tall, handsome, white man with a great smile and winning personality lubricates life in so many ways...but it does not provide much additional cushion when things fall apart. So...I can see how being a man makes things easier AND harder. I think if I'd been born a man, I'd be a Class A Obnoxious Prick. Being a woman has tempered my inflated sense of worth, so maybe it made me a better person.
??
I wouldn’t be able to be on the Derby, which would SUCK!
??
If there were a third choice, I might consider it.
??
The Marina would become a very, very scary place.
??
That would not be good - way to much T
??
I'd probably take much better care of myself.
??
I'd probably play with my new genitals all day until I got bored with them, then go clothes shopping.
??
I would do dream yoga sleeping on my left side instead of my right.
??
I couldn't pass this one up!!
If I were a different gender I would undoubtedly be a lesbian since I adore women so much!!!
??
I honestly think that life would be easier. Bigger guys dont stick out as much as girls, plus i could piss standing up and not worry about making a mess of myself!
??
I'm sure I was - in a different lifetime. My parents probably expected me to be born male. I am my paternal grandfather's first female descendent. He had 7 sons and 6 grandsons when I arrived. My birth was celebrated by many - finally, a GIRL!!!!!!
??
I am.
??
you wouldn't be. use 'hope' as an example. i aske her if she was a man or a woman. she said 'i don't know' for him.
??
Hopefully, I would be able to feel a living thing growing inside my stomach, or at least I would be sitting down when I pee and whole lot of other differences in biological makeups. On a psychological plane, I would probably communicate more and more often. Perhaps, feel things more. I am sure there are more things that I would experience, but sort of glad I am a guy.
??
I could pee standing
??
As a drag performer, I walk that line quite frequently. My personality would be the same, I'm just a bit meaner! A diva in every sense of the word!
??
well, i know i wouldn't wear heels. i think my problem with codependency would be worse because i would relate even more with my mother in a way i might not have been able to resolve. and i would have a lot of fun with hair and clothes, because i already do, but there would be the possibility of more. i was just at rei the other day and all the fun hiking shoes with cool colors along the sides were women's. i heard myself saying, women get all the good stuff, when are guys going to be less boring??
??
I wouldn't be going through menopause.
??
It wouldn't surprise me. I have thought of myself as a gay man trapped in a woman's body for many years.
??
Well, several responses come to mind. . .
1) I am a different gender.
2) Per last QOTW, I don't think it would make me any sexier.
3) When I was very young I had a yearning to be a little girl sometimes, I'm not sure why and
it was not a feeling that endured past the point when I discovered the experience of being
with little girls.
4) Many of the women my age seem just as frustrated, bitter, sometimes angry, sometimes hopeless,
stuck in their ways and unwilling to trust anymore as I frequently am so I don't really see how it
would make much of a difference at this point in my life.
5) Finally, in the zen way, every being possesses the yin and the yang. It is integral to our make-up and
fundamental in the navigation of the environment we exist in, whatever that may be.
??
If i were female, I would have the most amazing shoe collection ever.
??
I would have been a bad girl.
??
And mine...
I feel somewhat in touch with masculine energy within myself, and consequently don't think I'd be dramatically different in temperament. I would make the most of having straight hips. I would wear very cool shoes. On alternate Thursdays, I'd dress like Shaft.
??
I am.
??
Then I would be the kind of man that treated women like his mama taught him, under a single parent house hold in old new york poverty. I would join the navy too young, and get into loads of trouble, having great stories of fool's errands. I would be the kind of man that was a little old fashioned in mannerisms, in love with old music and the kind that would serenade a person under the window at least once. I would be tasteful, well spoken, would consider my words carefully, I would be a lover of women. I would be true but I would also have many loves in one life time. I would be so devoted to women that I would devote time painting the woman form. Or photographing, or just making love to one good woman all the time. I would have good friends from all walks of life. I would finely meet a woman that I would want to grow old with, not out of attraction although that is there too immensely in the beginning, but a woman that had the right heart, and I would make sacrifices for structure and support...and meet the woman in the middle, growing together sharing dreams and tragedies while building at first a home of two. (But because I am a man, it would be far more simple.) I would go through an arrogant youth. I would be infatuated with great thinkers and carry myself with dignity. I would also make tons of mistakes, hurt feelings at times, once or twice make my identity based on my profession, lose my temper, but I would never result to violence. I would be a man with a great sense of humor, and because of this ability to laugh on the side of error, I would have a great life. I would also be handy and take simple joys and pleasures out of every day activities that involved fixing problems. The best man I would be in my entire life time would be the man I would be in old age...from my arrogant world traveling rascallion youth to my romance period, to my maturity and dignity as a husband, father and grandpa, to my death in my suit, I would be the kind of man that had an open mind, but also I would not live so abundantly in my emotions, as I do so much as a woman. I would respect women for their incredible compassion. But I think as a man, I would find myself a provider. I would grow into old age and be the best as an old man, retired and fixing things for my family, taking great joy out of projects and old music, be appalled by my one time beloved NY city, or travel but be happy to be content in my garage and around the long dinner table full of hardy nostalgia, die a slow but not too slow death full of good byes and last meetings at monumental events, looking back at having sacrificed an adventurous life some where with in the confused middle life of falling in love after solitude and the open seas..for simplicity and patience, kindness providing for generation. If I were a man, I would be my grandfather.
??
I would have a difficult time finding clothes!
??
two things that I havent experienced in this lifetime..........child birth (due to lack of uterus and female reproductive system) and bisexuality.........I'm hardwired for men and just can't go there with a woman. But I believe I've experienced all of those things in other lifetimes so I'm OK with skipping the baby thing this time around. I've made peace with my "psychic" womb and transgendered body, so I identify as a "third gender" person.
??
I'd have my tubes tied ASAP!
??
I'd have to fly to Denmark and get the operation.
??
I’m glad I’m female. If I were male, I don’t think I’d like the pressure of not crying, because I cry all the time, over anything…happiness, sadness, cute kids, old ladies, that curiously touching yet manipulative commercial, etc. If I were a guy, I’d have to edit a lot.
??
I often thought I was a gay man in my past life anyhow...
??
As a homo, I already do gender differently by breaking the gender law that says men are supposed to be with women, blah blah blah. But I LOVE being a gender outlaw. I also love being a guy so my initial reaction is that I'd be sad not to be one.
That said, if I was female, I'd like to be like Joan Jett -- tough as nails, as femmy as I want to be, and unapologetic about all of it.
??
i'd make a lot more money for doing the same job.
??
I have a 29 yr. old son who is me in the opposite gender. Doors to amazing opportunities readily open for him. He's made and lost a couple of million this year alone. Because he has so little initial resistance, he often fails to fully appreciate situations. He relies more on charm than ability. His smile wins people over, but the lack of substance has ends up kicking his ass later. I can see my struggles helped me develop personally and professionally. I see how the ease of being a tall, handsome, white man with a great smile and winning personality lubricates life in so many ways...but it does not provide much additional cushion when things fall apart. So...I can see how being a man makes things easier AND harder. I think if I'd been born a man, I'd be a Class A Obnoxious Prick. Being a woman has tempered my inflated sense of worth, so maybe it made me a better person.
??
I wouldn’t be able to be on the Derby, which would SUCK!
??
If there were a third choice, I might consider it.
??
The Marina would become a very, very scary place.
??
That would not be good - way to much T
??
I'd probably take much better care of myself.
??
I'd probably play with my new genitals all day until I got bored with them, then go clothes shopping.
??
I would do dream yoga sleeping on my left side instead of my right.
??
I couldn't pass this one up!!
If I were a different gender I would undoubtedly be a lesbian since I adore women so much!!!
??
I honestly think that life would be easier. Bigger guys dont stick out as much as girls, plus i could piss standing up and not worry about making a mess of myself!
??
I'm sure I was - in a different lifetime. My parents probably expected me to be born male. I am my paternal grandfather's first female descendent. He had 7 sons and 6 grandsons when I arrived. My birth was celebrated by many - finally, a GIRL!!!!!!
??
I am.
??
you wouldn't be. use 'hope' as an example. i aske her if she was a man or a woman. she said 'i don't know' for him.
??
Hopefully, I would be able to feel a living thing growing inside my stomach, or at least I would be sitting down when I pee and whole lot of other differences in biological makeups. On a psychological plane, I would probably communicate more and more often. Perhaps, feel things more. I am sure there are more things that I would experience, but sort of glad I am a guy.
??
I could pee standing
??
As a drag performer, I walk that line quite frequently. My personality would be the same, I'm just a bit meaner! A diva in every sense of the word!
??
well, i know i wouldn't wear heels. i think my problem with codependency would be worse because i would relate even more with my mother in a way i might not have been able to resolve. and i would have a lot of fun with hair and clothes, because i already do, but there would be the possibility of more. i was just at rei the other day and all the fun hiking shoes with cool colors along the sides were women's. i heard myself saying, women get all the good stuff, when are guys going to be less boring??
??
I wouldn't be going through menopause.
??
It wouldn't surprise me. I have thought of myself as a gay man trapped in a woman's body for many years.
??
Well, several responses come to mind. . .
1) I am a different gender.
2) Per last QOTW, I don't think it would make me any sexier.
3) When I was very young I had a yearning to be a little girl sometimes, I'm not sure why and
it was not a feeling that endured past the point when I discovered the experience of being
with little girls.
4) Many of the women my age seem just as frustrated, bitter, sometimes angry, sometimes hopeless,
stuck in their ways and unwilling to trust anymore as I frequently am so I don't really see how it
would make much of a difference at this point in my life.
5) Finally, in the zen way, every being possesses the yin and the yang. It is integral to our make-up and
fundamental in the navigation of the environment we exist in, whatever that may be.
??
If i were female, I would have the most amazing shoe collection ever.
??
I would have been a bad girl.
??
And mine...
I feel somewhat in touch with masculine energy within myself, and consequently don't think I'd be dramatically different in temperament. I would make the most of having straight hips. I would wear very cool shoes. On alternate Thursdays, I'd dress like Shaft.
What makes you sexy?
My glasses.
??
Doing nice things for other people and a few pushups a few times a week. Maybe some crunches too.
??
I have a wonderful memory, but I can't remember that.
??
The people that think I'm sexy.
??
my exotic body......which is comprised of male and female features.......some call it 'the best of both worlds'. Others call it 'one stop shopping'. I like to think of it as a variation of god's work. And my voice.......people often comment on my telephone voice. Especially when I use the 'well modulated professional phone voice' at work. One client who works at Pixar actually said he'd like to use my voice in a production. It hasnt happened yet but I remind him now and again that my voice is available for his movie. I think having an air of mystery is sexy too. I strive to use restraint when first meeting people and take my time to warm up to strangers. I can be cautious to guard against an old pattern of compulsively disclosing myself to others. Mystery and my uniqueness is sexy.
Oh, and I find a spiritually devotional man to be sexy. Ever see a hunk of a man praying in earnest at an altar or in a temple?.....mmmmmm......totally sexy.
??
My energy, and maybe my buitt.
??
I'd like to think vulnerability, but I still think in terms of objectification.
??
Paul Newman eyes ... silver hair ... and a nice smile
??
Humor. And my deep blue bedroom eyes!
??
Sexy? I don't know that I am...sexy. I do believe I am desirable and desiring. Listen, I'm married with a very comfortable, nice, and occasionally hot sex life. My husband says the sexiest thing I do is communicate my desire. It's not about what I wear, it's about how I signal my desire and love for him through touching, kissing, whispering. Lots of casual touches, compliments, and attention. Part of being desirable is in having confidence...so "looks" do come into play for me. Personal hygiene on the part of both partners is important to a great sex life. The playgrounds are kept neat and clean. Sexy to us is freshly showered (or in the shower).
??
my keen investigative brain.
??
times when I can focus on what I have instead of what
I lack.
??
expensive jeans
they make me look like a model even though I'm not
??
certainly confidence, but a pair of red stilettoes tend to do the trick too!
??
Smoke and mirrors...........
??
Hell if I know! I'm 2 weeks away from my 63rd birthday, weigh 60 pound more than I did in my prime, have bulging disks in 3 places in my spine, and arthritis. Life itself doesn't feel very sexy to me anymore. That said, I am glad to be alive. My mind still feels young, despite my years of life experience. I'm sure my life would have been very different, if I'd had the wisdom of my current years, when my body was young and beautiful.
??
My ability to love and be loved!
??
My newly shaved head. I’ve wanted to do it my whole life, and this summer, I did it. (I’m female, and will soon be 50.) What’s so curious is that I don’t know if it LOOKS sexy, but it certainly feels sexy. It’s me. It’s very, very, very me, and to my complete surprise, I feel very, very, very sexy. It’s my new ‘DO, baby!
??
Tango music makes me sexy.
??
a few hits of speed and my teenage memories
??
I changed my mind I don't want to be on this list. It really stresses me out to get things like this sometimes. I know I know, call me Crazy :)
??
Commitment to a spiritual path. Taking care of myself - body, mind, emotions.
??
A nice suit of clothes and a fresh shave of face and head makes me
sexy. Not to mention my blue eyes and full lips.
??
My guitar playing, song writing and poetry seem to be the things that are sexy to women but that's about as
far as it goes. In a one on one situation I just don't seem to come across as sexy anymore. Maybe 15 years of
a marriage and two kids have done that to me, but it's probably just me.
??
my attitude and the fact that i thoroughly enjoy my life, but i keep getting comments about my ass, so maybe people aren't focused on my attitude. oh well.
??
My laugh, my voice, my mind, my imagination.
??
It's the way that I move. The things that I do. Whoahoh.
??
And mine...
Courage.
??
Doing nice things for other people and a few pushups a few times a week. Maybe some crunches too.
??
I have a wonderful memory, but I can't remember that.
??
The people that think I'm sexy.
??
my exotic body......which is comprised of male and female features.......some call it 'the best of both worlds'. Others call it 'one stop shopping'. I like to think of it as a variation of god's work. And my voice.......people often comment on my telephone voice. Especially when I use the 'well modulated professional phone voice' at work. One client who works at Pixar actually said he'd like to use my voice in a production. It hasnt happened yet but I remind him now and again that my voice is available for his movie. I think having an air of mystery is sexy too. I strive to use restraint when first meeting people and take my time to warm up to strangers. I can be cautious to guard against an old pattern of compulsively disclosing myself to others. Mystery and my uniqueness is sexy.
Oh, and I find a spiritually devotional man to be sexy. Ever see a hunk of a man praying in earnest at an altar or in a temple?.....mmmmmm......totally sexy.
??
My energy, and maybe my buitt.
??
I'd like to think vulnerability, but I still think in terms of objectification.
??
Paul Newman eyes ... silver hair ... and a nice smile
??
Humor. And my deep blue bedroom eyes!
??
Sexy? I don't know that I am...sexy. I do believe I am desirable and desiring. Listen, I'm married with a very comfortable, nice, and occasionally hot sex life. My husband says the sexiest thing I do is communicate my desire. It's not about what I wear, it's about how I signal my desire and love for him through touching, kissing, whispering. Lots of casual touches, compliments, and attention. Part of being desirable is in having confidence...so "looks" do come into play for me. Personal hygiene on the part of both partners is important to a great sex life. The playgrounds are kept neat and clean. Sexy to us is freshly showered (or in the shower).
??
my keen investigative brain.
??
times when I can focus on what I have instead of what
I lack.
??
expensive jeans
they make me look like a model even though I'm not
??
certainly confidence, but a pair of red stilettoes tend to do the trick too!
??
Smoke and mirrors...........
??
Hell if I know! I'm 2 weeks away from my 63rd birthday, weigh 60 pound more than I did in my prime, have bulging disks in 3 places in my spine, and arthritis. Life itself doesn't feel very sexy to me anymore. That said, I am glad to be alive. My mind still feels young, despite my years of life experience. I'm sure my life would have been very different, if I'd had the wisdom of my current years, when my body was young and beautiful.
??
My ability to love and be loved!
??
My newly shaved head. I’ve wanted to do it my whole life, and this summer, I did it. (I’m female, and will soon be 50.) What’s so curious is that I don’t know if it LOOKS sexy, but it certainly feels sexy. It’s me. It’s very, very, very me, and to my complete surprise, I feel very, very, very sexy. It’s my new ‘DO, baby!
??
Tango music makes me sexy.
??
a few hits of speed and my teenage memories
??
I changed my mind I don't want to be on this list. It really stresses me out to get things like this sometimes. I know I know, call me Crazy :)
??
Commitment to a spiritual path. Taking care of myself - body, mind, emotions.
??
A nice suit of clothes and a fresh shave of face and head makes me
sexy. Not to mention my blue eyes and full lips.
??
My guitar playing, song writing and poetry seem to be the things that are sexy to women but that's about as
far as it goes. In a one on one situation I just don't seem to come across as sexy anymore. Maybe 15 years of
a marriage and two kids have done that to me, but it's probably just me.
??
my attitude and the fact that i thoroughly enjoy my life, but i keep getting comments about my ass, so maybe people aren't focused on my attitude. oh well.
??
My laugh, my voice, my mind, my imagination.
??
It's the way that I move. The things that I do. Whoahoh.
??
And mine...
Courage.
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