I love illustrations and the ease imagery touches my heart, yet, I am trying to consider what _Sky wrote too, that I should '..Own..' my passed experiences...and this idea, it didn't settle too well with me, a lot of my passed experiences invloved my observations of cruelty and judgement, and hence, an internal reaction to them...I do admit I entered into some unhealthy relationships which eventually cause my homelessness, yet, for the most part, my experiences were that something inside me was a little 'off..' a little unprepared for realities that hit me as I grew up, and people went to town with me being a little 'off' they tormented me until I found myself writing here about it, I never once stood up to them, just got an INTERNAL reaction....I am going to try being more assertive, as nurses have to be, a better communicator, and yes, own my experiences, and own what exactly I expected the rest of the population to DO exactly with a young girl so 'odd' or 'off.' I am sure had the world been made up of people such as PC people, I would have grown up with unconditional love, yet part of owning my experiences, is owning what exactly I expect from this world, this reality, we find ourselves in. I say it right here, I OWN what happened to me, I own my incapabilites, my lack of ability to deal with reality, reality is what it is and should not be ignored.....I lived much in 'my own world..' for years, yet, time has come to take my own world and integrate it into ours, mine and yours. I prepare myself for negative judgments and comments ahead of time as I get so often yet _I_ know deep down who I am, despite what others say or may say.....this goes back to what Muffy wrote, as she sits by the clear river seeing 2 countries, for just one second, she forgets all the negativity she has heard..and becomes at peace with the river, may we all find that river within ourselves...