Margaret Sanger.

Yes, I’ve turned into my mother physically. I have her illnesses and overweight, and along with her health problems, I now have more or less her attitude toward health - that compliance isn’t always worth the effort. I’ve spent my conscious life avoiding following her psychological and emotional paths - the consequences of being her are even worse than the consequences of having been raised by her. All my life, I’ve envied people whose families actually liked each other. My mother was an expert at keeping us divided and suspicious. I do have some of her gratuitous meanness left in me, but fortunately decreasing over time.

Oh, good comparison, Cynthia, funny like a “blonde joke”. As funny as anyone may find some women’s gullibility and helplessness and manipulation, the women who laugh at it and defend it as humor are voluntarily advocating our oppression. Actually that’s fine if it’s your preference, it just isn’t mine. I’m often surprised by how unfeminist the wowowow founders show themselves to be, and assume we are, and how often they’re right about us.

Thank you, Sheila. Yes, the reactions have been fascinating, and that’s your doing, woman. Brava! You pulled this off beautifully, and I’m looking forward to more of your work here. More thought-provoking, challenging stuff like this. I’m appalled by some of the kneejerk here, at least regarding sex and exclusivity, as though it were a zero-sum game. This was an ideal ending for Her. Now She’s free to do whatever she likes at any time. She’s in the catbird seat.

How do I feel time alters my ability to be resilient? I don’t think time is the operator; I think it’s health. I’m another one with limitations because of my health, and it’s my health that wears down my body and sometimes my spirit. Not my mind… or okay, only very rarely my mind. I can’t tell what you mean by time. Aging? I don’t mind that. Feeling rushed? I hate that feeling, but by my actions, I don’t have it in my life.

Being left alone for a few days? Doesn’t really apply. Apart from a few years married, and a few years at most with each of a handful of lovers, I’ve always lived alone by choice. It hasn’t always been me who ended the relationships, but usually. Right, marriage isn’t for everyone. Sounds like many people here who are with someone, don’t want to be. Society trains us to think we’re supposed to want to.

I listened to classical music on the radio in my bedroom as a kid, and sometimes I cried with it. My father caught me, and informed me harshly that that was ridiculous, and I should be listening to the same music the other kids listened to, so I’d be popular. Thirty years later, the year he died, I started listening to classical again. Now it doesn’t take much to set me off. Music or dance or athletics or words or visual art or beloveds, human or animal. Yes, ecstasy, good word. Also, anyone else notice you’re more easily moved to tears since you stopped smoking?

Yes, our health is subject to the pharmaceutical and insurance companies, if we subject it to them. Knowledge is power. Read up about vitamins and minerals and enzymes and herbs and water and food and whatever else you decide is important for you to know in order to take care of yourself. Read up about symptoms of common ailments, and treat yourself well. Much easier on your body and mind to use something natural than something OTC. Decide whether you want the procedures done. The medical industry will tell you that every symptom heralds a life-threatening crisis. Decide that for yourself.

“What did the non-believers hope to gain from their joining together?” Well, what do we hope to gain by talking here? Affirmation that they’re, and we’re, not alone, and fine just the way they are. I didn’t know that the Army is so cruel to atheists; I do know they give other non-Christians a hard time. Yup, that “Christian nation” attitude has outgrown itself.

Hunter/gatherer…. I do less hunting than I used to, less actual pursuit of what I want. More gathering, more taking benefit of what happens to be available. I’m thinking of relationships more than stuff.

What Cynthia said. I grew up in New York City - Brooklyn as a child, and many apartments in three boroughs. Did a lot of traveling, mostly Western and Central Europe and North Africa. I chose Phoenix, AZ in 1974 for the heat, and the distance from my otherwise inescapable situation in NYC. Other choices were Geneva and Lausanne. The heat won, and also the simplicity of staying in my um, homeland. (Perfectly good word tainted forevermore.) Now… Phoenix is no longer my active first choice, and inertia keeps me here. I did have very deep roots here, business and personal. The changes aren’t Phoenix’s fault.

Frank, save your energy. He said he’s in his sixties and has been “in” medicine and psychiatry for over 40 years. He said also that he’s been retired for 20 years, living on investments and annoying his son. So if he can’t even sort out what he does during the day, we don’t have to worry about what he says here.

I think by now Hillary’s goal isn’t to win, but rather to prevent Obama’s win. (Notice that almost all of us almost always use her first name and his last name?) She can run against McCain next time with a decent chance, but not against Obama ever.

Yes, of course I’ve experienced sex discrimination. Everyone has who’s seen the “Help Wanted: Male” and “Help Wanted: Female” columns. Every woman has who’s been told that men are paid more than women for the same work because…. What I’ve done about on the job discrimination and harrassment was, a few times, quit, write letters, sulk, rinse and repeat. Eventually I started a couple of my own businesses and freelance part-times. You know what? I think progress is occurring, and it’ll take generations. Maybe our great granddaughters will get a fair shake.

I like the way you expressed that, Lena: we sisters are talking to one another. Yes, we are. But ignoring sexual harrassment, e. g. from Dr. Whoosits, doesn’t do anything to get rid of it. We’re in a hostile environment of his creation. Granted, he’s easy enough to ignore or laugh off, but let’s not let him be the camel’s nose under the tent.