Addiction versus Need. ??

Yes, I've had what you would call "withdrawal symptoms" from staying away from here...

BUT...

This is the only place I feel really cared about. This is the only place I get hugs without asking for them, even if they are cyberhugs. This is the only place where others understand me. The list goes on and on.

My relationship with this neighbor is and always will be platonic. Short of knowing I don't turn on any man, he doesn't turn me on physically. Not that IF I wasn't married and not that IF I wasn't hiding in a fat cocoon, he couldn't, you understand. But that's beside the point! I digress...

Guess what it boils down to is having someone care "with skin on." I heard a minister say that when he was talking about prayer and it not being quite enough. You need someone "with skin on." We all need the human touch.

Yes, even good things need to be done in moderation. So... where is that faint line between need and addiction? When do i bite my tongue so that I don't call out my neighbor's name so that he'll come out, sit and talk to me while I'm doing some chore outside?

Do I stay away from him because I'm married, he's involved AND done time for murder? Or do I come out from behind my safety zone and have an experience that could be very welcome. Do I have the intestinal fortitude to just be ME in front of someone that can reach out and touch me, not just physically but emotionally?