Picture yourself spending some time with congenial friends, sharing your lives and pictures from your cell phones." They're curious about that cool game, song, movie, camping trip, art show, or other event that fascinated you. You talk about all kinds of stuff, poetry, styles, personal achievements, relationships, and bad days. You can share your inner child, and laugh together. They sympathetically listen to your feelings about serious topics like politics or climate change, even when they don't agree.
Personal validation comes from paying attention to one another, giving more than you get. Everyone respects you and themselves, despite our amazing range of personal tastes and interests. They'll tell you they don't agree with an idea or behavior without implying you're a bad person or somehow deficient. It's an "I'm OK, You're OK" kind of fellowship, where nobody tries to make himself look better by picking on somebody else.
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Started by Ruth Anthony-Gardner. Last reply by Loren Miller 5 hours ago. 1 Reply 0 Likes
This photo essay shows the remarkable benefits of replacing a secular government with a religious one. The fate of Egypt is quite an endorsement for the superior morality of religious rule.I was a bit surprised by the extent to which the temporary…Continue
Started by Steph S.. Last reply by Tom Sarbeck 9 hours ago. 10 Replies 1 Like
Oh no! Crazy ants!!CNN) -- Beware the "crazy…Continue
Started by Steph S.. Last reply by Tom Sarbeck 9 hours ago. 3 Replies 0 Likes
I just wanted to make a fun discussion and see what all of you are doing on Memorial Day.Anyone attending a parade?Anyone honoring vets?Here is an event in Austin that looks very interesting to me.Austin, TXClose Assault 1944 is living history and…Continue
Started by Joan Denoo. Last reply by Ruth Anthony-Gardner 11 hours ago. 3 Replies 0 Likes
Brutal 4 Minutes for All of Religion Christopher HitchensJust think about this for a minute, “three thousand years ago, at the most, it was decided,…Continue
Started by Steph S.. Last reply by Lillie yesterday. 9 Replies 0 Likes
Psychics are all BS.Here's an interesting news article.Amanda Berry, a…Continue
Started by Joan Denoo on Thursday. 0 Replies 0 Likes
Life offers many opportunities for health and flourishing and our bodies have all kinds of red flags it sends up to tell us something is wrong. Pay attention to those flags, they can save your health and your life. I talked to a lady yesterday who…Continue
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Comment by Joan Denoo on January 7, 2013 at 8:36pm
Comment by Joan Denoo on January 7, 2013 at 8:13pm “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” ~ Aristotle via Phil Rockstroh
Comment by Joan Denoo on January 7, 2013 at 7:04pm
Comment by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on January 7, 2013 at 6:53pm The fox is my favorite, Joan. Thanks for sharing the NatGo pics.
Thanks for your heartfelt account, sk8eycat. I feel as if I know you better. I've often been in love, but I'm lucky to have found a lot of much nicer guys. And smart enough to give back the engagement rings of the first two prospects, when their true nature showed through. Never regretted those decisions. My second husband has been the real keeper.
Comment by Joan Denoo on January 7, 2013 at 6:45pm Chris Dodd, try:
Comment by sk8eycat on January 7, 2013 at 6:35pm Back to the discussion about love and hate, this is what one of my heroes, Robert A. Heinlein had to say about love (in several books): "Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own..."
I'm not sure if I've ever felt that emotion, except for my parents...particularly when they were having so many medical problems the last few years of their lives. And for all the many cats I've lived with during my life, of course. I don't think I was ever "in love" with anybody...at least all the men I thought I was in love with turned out to be controlling rotters, and I ended up dumping each one. Most of the men I care about deeply, and have for years, are gay. They have been the best, most caring friends I've ever had. It didn't matter that I couldn't go to bed with them (well....some I did ... nice friendly cuddling). It's the mutual warmth and genuine affection that matters to me.
Obviously I've never had children, so I have no idea what that feels like. I suppose my pets have been my "children," and I would seriously damage anyone who harmed any of them....or any so-called human who purposely harmed any animal. (I've seen an ASPCA commercial many times in the last 3 weeks that made me cry so much I had to change the channel briefly...the "You Are So Beautiful..." one....with quick cuts of abandoned dogs and cats in cages. Damn! I'm crying right now, just thinking about it!)
Abandonment of children or pets ought to carry much more severe penalties than it does.
Okay. Okay. I do have abandonment "issues." My dad "abandoned" me an my sister for 10 years...not by leaving home physically, but by escaping down the neck of a vodka bottle.....starting when I was 10 and my sister was 5. There were times when I wanted to kill him, and it's a good thing we didn't have a gun in the house, or I might have taken a shot at him. He wasn't violent or abusive in any way, he just wasn't "here."
Okay. I'll shut up now.
OH! I forgot! I LOVE "This walk is over"! I have never seen a dog do that before....just cats. A LOT of cats.
Comment by Joan Denoo on January 7, 2013 at 5:37pm
Comment by Joan Denoo on January 7, 2013 at 5:27pm
Comment by booklover on January 7, 2013 at 5:25pm Joan, you are such a Sweetheart. I'm glad you enjoyed the "This walk is over picture" too.
Comment by John Lynch on January 7, 2013 at 4:45pm Yes to all those question Joan. I would be willing to bet a few pesos he is wrong.
Loren Miller replied to Loren Miller's discussion When Christians become a 'hated minority' (John Blake, CNN)
John Kauffman replied to Maia Rodriguez's discussion Tornado Survivor Did Not Thank God
Dr. Allan H. Clark replied to Loren Miller's discussion When Christians become a 'hated minority' (John Blake, CNN)
Ruth Anthony-Gardner replied to Dallas the Phallus's discussion 5 fascinating reasons cockroaches will outlive us all in the group Wildlife
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