Total Wow-Wonderful honesty, authenticity.  I’m going to send this off to several women who have gone through horrific emotional abuse; one of whom is still going through 5 year divorce where justice system of the "old boys" is colluding. She has 5 sons.  Her ex-husband has stripped her of everything, but not her spirit, her giving, caring and just wondrous aspects of one spunky lady.  Your essay Luanne gives hope! I am in a good second marriage, but I grew up with the negation of the female and so much more.  It took me years of therapy and being a Baha’i to develop a voice and love myself and others.  Great contribution, gratitude and love!

Well I celebrate my freedom every day.  Admittedly we lie in a world where conflicting forces duke it out, and not everyone is for the wellbeing of mankind.  We lived in Ukraine and Belarus and visited Moscow and Siberia for 3 years in the early 90s, were there doing the coup, food shortages, youname it. Freedom for me is for everyone in the world to be a trust of the whole, and i just simply try to do service; i can never assess how am i doing, as that would be ego, but i believe this world will eventually come together as prophecied by most of the world’s traditions.  Meanwhile, I always speak up.  I need never shirk or express my voice when there is injustice, and little by little, hopefully cultures change.

GRATITUDE; nice to feel the little guy/woman is being protectively advised! Good service!

Drawn to the Rhythm, Sara Hall, a gripping, and exceedingly well-written memoir of a woman at 40 or so married, affluent, with children and a verbally abusive husband, who discovers sculling (single kayak type of boat); i am not skilled in naming appropriately some sports stuff; but this was a fabulous book which I found in my favorite used book store in Chico, California. Chico is about 2 hours beyond Sacramento. Also I read Life’s That Way, by Jim Beaver, of his marriage to Cecily Adams (daughter of Don Adams-Get Smart fame) and her incurring lung cancer; about their daughter Maddie, and also well written, insightful and just reflective of so many of the anonymous amongst us facing their Herculean tasks and soldiering on. One more; was another woman and boating; this was A Pearl in the Storm, Tori Murden McClure; rowing across the Atlantic. Yes, you heard that correctly. rowing across the Atlantic, and incredible gripper; what a fierce and wonderful soul.

Thanks for the input; copied titles down; now to the library, also The Help; so many wonderful writers out there; am suggesting my last three books; wonderful:  Drawn to the Rhythm, Sara Hall, a gripping, and exceedingly well-written memoir of a woman at 40 or so married, affluent, with children and a verbally abusive husband, who discovers sculling (single kayak type of boat); i am not skilled in naming appropriately some sports stuff; but this was a fabulous book which I found in my favorite used book store in Chico, California. Chico is about 2 hours beyond Sacramento. Also I read Life’s That Way, by Jim Beaver, of his marriage to Cecily Adams (daughter of Don Adams-Get Smart fame) and her incurring lung cancer; about their daughter Maddie, and also well written, insightful and just reflective of so many of the anonymous amongst us facing their Herculean tasks and soldiering on. One more; was another woman and boating; this was A Pearl in the Storm, Tori Murden McClure; rowing across the Atlantic. Yes, you heard that correctly. rowing across the Atlantic, and incredible gripper; what a fierce and wonderful soul.

I was a Catholic (RC) from Boston and Irish till I was in my late 20s; It was a heritage which gave me many things, but in 1966 an atheist/agnostic friend said, "If I were anything, I would be a Baha’i, and to my "What’s that" she explained that the Baha’i’s believe you must investigate truth yourself, but it is a world religion, and Baha’is believe in a concept called Progressive Revelation which basically means, in every age, God, who is an Unknowable Essence, sends Prophets, Manifestations, Messengers who brings social teachings for the age and renews spiritual teachings and unfolds to human kind further understanding.  Basically there are, according to this Baha’i, two purposes:  to know and to love God (that involves an ocean of comments) and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.  Which boils down to boys and girls, every age has it’s own purpose; Baha’is are followers of Baha’u’llah, Who they believe is the Promised One of all Ages.  As you know, the traditions of almost every people include the promise of a future when peace and harmony will be established on earth and humankind will live in propsperity.  Baha’is believe that the promised hour has come and that Baha’u’llah is the great Personage Whose Teachings will enable humanity to build a new world.

In other words, at the core of every religion is spiritual truth; because we’ve been in our infancy, childhood and now adolescence.  Humankind is coming of age; thus the global disequilibrium and equilibrium. It boils down to the oneness of humankind and service to humanity.  I have been a Baha’i (www.Baha’i.org) for over 43 years.  It has caused me to leave narrowness of belief, to see everyone as a soul, and caused me to be a small bricklayer in the process of building a foundation for justice, love and peace.

Michelle Obama is authentic, intelligent both intellectually, legally and emotional.  She has a range within her which garners both reality of the struggle of living and the art of living under a microscope as privileged.  she has a strong sense of herself, and I believe she’s gorgeous, has wonderful children, well raised, a great husband, and that there’s something wrong when someone can’t bare their arms and pundits pundit endlessly. The era of facade is ebbing and truth, authenticity and beauty still remains.  Everyone I know loves and admires her tremendously.  Hillary Clinton was never forgiven for being intelligent, but I think the public recognizes intelligence and capacity, and she has both.  Now it’s up to the politicans to become aware of integrity, capacity, the ability to have vision for the future.  the old ways just don’t work.  So here’s to Michelle for having the courage and fortitude to be who she is.

I remember reading about this. I read a memoir of life for Saudi Arabian women. Was it about two women? I’m not sure, but their lives were horrendous, and they are very, very brave. I’ve never understood women in the military, but I saw the wisdom in such when our American troops went to Kuwait, or were in Saudi Arabia, and the author of the book said their men were wimps, and here there were American women defending them. That gave them great courage. the book also discussed women being put into a room alone to die, or being drowned in a swimming pool; somewomen had wonderful husbands; others had horrific brothers or husband which translates into horrific abuse. The women of the world are brave and suffer horribly in some regions; my heart always goes out to them.

Oh Whoopi - Thank God you were created. You simply make the world a better, safer, funnier, compassionate place. You give hope to millions I suspect. Stay wonderful and have a glorious day!

Thank you Whoopi; agree totally. I am white, 70, and everyone i know in their 70s voted for Obama. Yes, this is the first time we’ve stepped onto the path of justice. People love Obama and his family. I do. I have never loved a political figure before. This is a glimpse of what can happen in the future, what a mature America and world looks like. We have long thorny pathways to travel, but finally someone we trust. Imagine that. Trust!

Before the Golden Age by Esther Bradley-DeTally (in upcoming book Writing on the Fly) Elizabeth Vargas bids goodbye from the news…Wait, how is Peter Jennings? Now I know of his kind heart, his last days, his frailty-but what of his regrets about those last cigarettes? Nine eleven—my fingers probe memory’s silt, Braille the reality of those days, find Terror’s dullard cousin Disbelief. Our earth stood still on nine eleven. Together in cylindrical need we lurched towards one another a oneness prayer, no words or syllables or sounds United until the politicians, like crows from New Jersey, fat cigars hanging from their mouths, carped, scavenged and hawked their way up ladders of avarice and greed. “The necks of men are stretched out in malice.” Crows cavorted long back halls of politically elite and power’s salacious divide. Language used for dark reptilian thoughts separated, the enemy, the other The crows, did I say crows? I meant boys, boys at play, like gargoyles in a game, crocodiles shopping for dental twine.

Hi Mugsy, I’ve been away, and away from this site. Oh dear, get stronger; what a bear; hope you feel better soon! love esther

My breath

No, too pricey; but eating better; more veggies, fruits

1. the unity of humankind 2. appreciation of unity in diversity 3. the actual realization that we are all born to be the trust to one another.