Thanks to a sort of friend (you know the kind they only come around when they want something after the two parties involved become friends) Anyway thanks to her I am known as "the author" in this complex where I live. I walk out the door and there is this neighbor or that saying " hey I'm so and so and I am writing a book too maybe we can get together bla bla bla".

the way I handle this is first I say "oh hi there I'm so and so and I was just on my way out. How about we talk some other time when Im not pulling my hair out with my appointments, groups and so on. It will be SOOO nice to just sit and relax with you. I don't get much time for coffee with my neighbors otherwise I would have come aroud sooner. How about (day and time Im available). then I go on my way. The person gets the point that I need a life outside of my writing and I have time to decide how I want to handle their upcoming "writing a book can you help me?" questions.

When I was in another state and people recognized me from my public days and they stopped me for guest speaking engagements I was ready. I told them "Right now Im not doing those type of engagements but I can give you some names and numbers of someone that can help you with this."

I got these names and numbers from those that I met during my public days and also by calling a variety of community agencys on a variety of subjects and explained who I was and I was compiling a list of local agencies that would love to be a public resource for speaking engagements since I had to back out of the limelight for a bit.

I don't go into details about why I'm not so public with anyone for they loose interest if it goes past their own ajenda of getting me to commit to helping them write and so on, and my mental health is no ones business anyway unless they are a very close friend who is a part of my daily life.

For me my mental health is personal information just like a persons sex life is their own and no one elses business. No one needs to know any info that I don't want to share.