Sixty-six years young and it’s only just now beginning to dawn on me that my family’s way of thinking – subtly and not so subtly drilled into me as the only way of seeing the world – well, it just ain’t so.

Such liberation! My poetry, literature and photography peeps, those good friends & new acquaintances I encounter in other circles, all tend to speak in gentler tones, they convey a positivity and sense of gratitude for the good things – and people – in their lives. There’s an openness in their demeanors and an appreciation for beauty, for poetry, for literature, for nature, for love and for music!

No one is perfect. No one person embodies all that is necessary to fulfill the role of ‘model citizen’. But expanding my world beyond the petty jealousies and harsh rhetoric, the gossiping and backstabbing, the disdain and envy that surrounded me for so long – too long! – has helped to bring things into better focus.

I want to close each day knowing I tried my best to be a better person. For me, it’s the only way forward. And in that – such freedom!