"My two sons would constantly besiege me with questions about how I rank things like my top 100 songs, my favorite actor, my favorite team, my favorite … "

I would have been concerned, to put it mildly. Did you ever question their actions to a third party?

and, "Defining myself as a small molecule in a mass of crushed numbers, as baseball players must do, is not something that makes me feel anything but very bad about myself." With all due respect, Ruth, it does not appear from your article that males are the rankers, but you. More so, viewing oneself as you did, "in a mass of crushed numbers" concerns me! Thank you for sharing, however, it appears that your first step will have to be to accept yourself as you are now, and rest with that for a while. Give it over to the universe, and there will be some enlightenment, with rest. 

Learning to let go, is the pinnacle of maturity. Many people are driven by a sense of form over essence - that around them, externally, dictates their persona, and self-worth; hence, creates a false sense of belonging. One must belong to oneself, first, and foremost. Read Pema Chodron for a starter.

 Incidentally, Belinda, I agree on the flow of consciousness in the article. Our editors should have helped her out, minimally!

Yes, Helen, thank you, too. I have read Franklin and Jefferson, et al - and now factions are attempting to "correct" their philosophies! Impossible! Government must cut religions loose, and remove the tax-exempt status on them - with judicious records, and auditing, they will come out the same tax-wise —- IF they are valid, and few are valid! IMHO, most "churches" are social centers for the populace that has nothing else. They’ve replaced the small town, the family, and extended family, and sooth the wrongs in society by pulling people in to not only attend, but support and work for them.

Conversely, our society is crumbing further each year, at a time when churches and banks pop up on every corner -  along with gas stations! We are a nation now that would prefer to go to battle, shot and harm others, than take care of our own, first! This entropic decline is going to soon be totally out of control - irreversible.

Just take a gander at this website - the primary focus is on Hollywood, stars, personal lives of the most visible personalities, fashion, and  … politics. Interesting groups. WE create and drive the intellectualism. Again! BASTA!

Well said, Helen! These "old white men" in DC are "ignorameses" about the majority stance of women in America! Men do NOT rule, they abuse!  What DC needs is to have wo-men marching on it, again, in droves. We used to get into vans, buses, trucks, anything, and just get there! IWe showed up in State legislature galleries to boycott ignorance.

If everyone woman on this site, and elsewhere, would email their friends a plea to contact their elected via e-mail "using this link" with a short, outright threat that things had "better change for women in the USA within 10 days or we will be in DC en masse," they would wake up.

Never forget the Suffragettes!

Oh, my! Everyone is either too young to remember, or too old to cope with it, but recessions have come and gone in waves, and in the late 50s, and early 60s, it was "last hired, first fired!" as lay-offs kept college students running down streets, asking every business if they "need somone?" In fact, we just did it, whatever it was, for a job, or we had no tuition paid, no place to live, and nothing to eat! Grand and glorious dorms were few and far between, and few could afford such "board and room," but we could not afford NOT to work!

Then, again came the S&L Crisis, and the 80s plummeted everyone into a handing on for dear life - jobs went, banks closed, homes were foreclosed on, and guess what … ? There was nothing helping any body! No bail-outs, no re-financiing, only increasing financial institution power and their growing gluttony and crime. Many were without jobs for over a year, and more. Braniff crashed 2 times, too! Those were lovely years, raising a family, maintaining a career, and keeping "up" as things fell!

It all caught up with the US - and the world - during 8 years when regulations were tossed aside, and  - - - but, the Fed knew, and a few other honchos knew.  In fact, AIG knew it was coming down, but our foreign pals didn’t!

Now, for heaven’s sake friends, give this nation some time to recover from years of crime, corruption, and a horrible administration!

LOL

How on earth any leaders in American can dare to listen to churches or the far-right extremists outcries (revanagism) when churches keep building their monuments, yet the homeless are dying on our streets - and winter is coming, and the churches are empty at night. This is all an udder waste of time! People are dying IN AMERICA!

The tele-evangelists rake in billions, yet the public is totally unaware of the cost of those infomercials!  

What a bloomin’ travesty! It’s schizophrenic!

However, Belinda Joy, our president could be more courageous, and take the heat for not carrying the party on his shoulders, and simply act on healthcare reform via Executive Decision! Wham, bang, done!

Medicare for all! An option!

Nixon did that returning from an international conference on chemical warfare - the next day, he ordered all our our chemical weapons destroyed! By 4 PM they were gone, and congress was screaming! This would also happen if we gave up our penchant to rule the world with nuclear weapons, and chose instead to care of Americans, and protect our nation with education, scientific research, and controls on the so-called investment/financial industry. When we catch any politician putting self and political party before acts to protect Americans, WE should boot them out of office! WE!!!

Diana, many of us have worked "two jobs," and more, and went to college, and raised children, and cared for others, and worked hard, non-stop. That is life. We chose our paths, we create our futures, and we work. There is not enough money to mobilize those on the pathetic "welfare" non-system - so don’t sweat it. You couldn’t live on what the "people who milk the welfare system" get, anyway! No one can. IF you know of fraud, report it! There’s nothing wrong with be law-abiding. Otherwise, just keep on working, and headed in the direction your chose for yourself, or change routes.

Oh! Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our dichotomous life in the US is driving people insane, adding the churches "voices" onto insane political agenda!

We have a great deal to think about right now, and re-electing anyone, should be our first decision - out with them all! If we have Single-Payer, it’s start up costs nil, and it’s maintenance is doable, but all too simple for the DC’ers who want to remain our "public servants."

http://www.pnhp.org/news/quote_of_the_day.php 

https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/307/t/9577/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5022

Well, good luck, then! You have no idea what you are paying for, to be honest! And, frankly, it’s none of our business. And, to stay on the fence will only cause blisters. If it is all right in cases of "rape or incest" then sign up to take in young females who are pregnat around the age of 9,10,11, 12 - incest is the highest % of the cause! Whatever, it is still pregnancy termination. Your fervor is however understandable once reading the advice you were given.