Builder

You don't need to be liked by everyone and you don't need to be liked all the time by anyone. That's not the way life works. Life can be pretty tragic. And pretty wonderful. We can avoid tragedy most of the time, but not always. We can embrace "wonderful" as often as we can cope with it. By the way, that was one of the most difficult lessons to learn in my life too. But I learned it. When I turned the corner was when I realized that it isn't necessary for me to like everyone either. I don't. Some people I want nothing to do with. I don't respect them and I don't like them. But I like myself and that is most important.

Thanks. It makes you realize how little we know about a subject that many consider the most important in their life.

That was "stunted" adults, Abriel, as in ended abruptly, not "stunned." Where was I? Trying to figure out my life and messing up the lives of my children because I had no idea what I was doing. I should have known what to do, but I knew nothing because I was not taught by anyone.

Thanks Christina. Keep trying to write, and to ask questions.

My brain got tired reading this. You really know your stuff. This article is worth archiving. Thanks.

Political correctness is a form of whitewashed prejudice. Thanks for your comments Abriel and Sparrow.

For those of you looking for my recent articles before today, I managed to delete them without realizing it. I need to resurrect four articles that were deleted for reasons I can't explain, at least to my own satisfaction.

Ummmmm, can I rent a room for you two? The hippies of the past did more than start a movement. They began a revolution which will eventually transform the whole of humanity. See my most recent article about sex for more explanation. Abriel, you are part of the movement and transition. The more you talk about it with others, the more intimately involved you become with the transition. Ken is on board too, I'm sure. What's a misplaced hippy (hippie)? Born too late? In a time warp? I know there are lots of people who agree with you. Get the peasant blouse and paisley skirt and you will be right in style, only 40 years too late for the beginning of the movement.

"[A]sk more questions and listen for the right time to talk." Good advice. Very good. If you speak at the wrong time, no one may listen, which makes it seem like rejection when it's really that the others don't care about anyone other than themselves.

Do Springer's guests really represent a sector of society or does the program just represent them that way? As the nonsense is almost all scripted, that would be like saying that what we see in movies represents real life in all cases. Somewhere along the line, fiction must be seen as being fictitious, an exaggeration of life. I love the line about "I have this haunting fear that my family may appear on it." Love it!

Believing that they know what they need to know (whether or not they express their beliefs with vigor) and actually knowing are two very different matters. Jerry Springer's guest appearances are just as realistic as what you see on reality TV shows. They are all scripted, choreographed and directed to seem "natural" but outrageous so that we will watch the program again. If you are suggesting that Jerry Springer's guests are examples of reality, then you truly must have a pessimistic point of view about humanity. They are amateur actors. I note that you did not say that these people ever indicated that they wanted anything other than the best for their children, which was the point of mine that you quoted.