Hi folks,

I haven't been posting so much recently, because my 3d life has been developing. This has to be a good thing, so everyone keeps telling me, although it comes at a price - stress.

In line with others struggling with illness, my pattern has been to pop my head up now and then and then pull back when I get a challenge or when I feel ill. It has been a choppy ride.

Anyway, my recent longer recovery has taken hold and I now have a social life again, with all the expectations that involves. New friends (regular people - whatever they are) don't expect bizarre behaviour, so there is a stress element in that expectation alone.

I have recently faced a big challenge, involving some conflict and group politics and find that I have emerged as the organiser and MC of a poetry event. This is a public event, open to all comers, and it will be stressful - no mistake about that. My wife will help me, and I seem to be popular with the people who come along. However, we all know that events of this sort are fraught with diffculties and sometimes difficult and challenging people.

This is the big test. A part of me wants to go back to bed and just live the online life. Another part of me wants to face the challenge.

I don't really know what kind of replies I am hoping for. I guess some encouragement, but realistic, as we folks know how much harder it is to do anything in the public eye when we carry an illness.

It is scary.

Cheers, M