NewLeaf, this forum has many other interesting topics to participate in.

No doubt you are not single-faceted person, but it is interesting that on the boomer forum, you respond and tend to make the effort to write primarily on men and sex.

You do describe men in a sensual way often or relate to them in a sexual way or most platonically, prefer to align with men vs. any woman, no matter how benignly friendly another woman may be.

No question some of us have not lived lives of Martha Stewart nor can even do that type of lifestyle beyond a few hrs. which reminds I better clean up our home..or my dear neat freak man in my life, will be abit disgusted after he returns from his long solo bike trip of several wks. (Not all men are thinking about sex nor want it with someone else when they are alone on the road. )

Have you read some of our backgrounds, NewLeaf in the other topics? There are some incredible people to learn from here, NewLeaf.

Orcid, no doubt there are many other topics to discus and read and learn from those whose lives are on different paths. Mine however, the past few days has been that of trying to help one of my best friends who has been hurt. The things Casey shared I've used to help her in spite of the criticism and barbs I've gotten from others here.
I choose to overlook most of the time, but when you work 4 10 hr. days to come home, clean house, do laundry and care for small children then go to your second job on your 3 days off, it doesn't leave a whole lot of time for peddling round the US or piddling in a library reading yet another book written by yet another retiree.
Geeze, the secretary at my grandson's school was touting her second novel...I'm beginning to think that's all older women do when they retire.
Anyway, thanks for your interest in my life. I just wish it were truly sincere and caring.

When you first began posting the sexual dribble way back when, we all tried to be helpful and were caring and we supported you against your husbands abuse 100%, but you keep coming back with the same crap over and over again, and more than once it sounded to me like it was a made up fantasy you were touting. I'm not as kind as some of the other women here and its about time someone called you out. We are caring women, but we are not stupid women, and some of us remember what was posted by whom, and when. I am retired and still work very hard. I don't intend to waste my senior years obsessing about imaginary or otherwise sexual confrontations. You've pulled this once to many times. I suggest you find a new hobby, one you understand...If there really is a friend in all this, then she is an idiot...

You can climb back down off your soapbox now Chatty. Have someone spot you while you get down..Its been my experience of you that you can be a bully. You consider yourself the voice of sage wisdom gleaned from years of being the bad chick...well, I do find your rantings amusing and entertaining.
However, I have to tell you that each and every post I've submitted has been 100% true and without one drop of imagination.
Sooo, I guess I live a very exciting life. I like it that way for the most part. There are the down times, but all in all I wouldn't trade it for one dull and sugar saturated moment in time with anyone else.
Sometimes I'd give someone a dollar for a day of boredom, but just one day.'
While I do have a vivid imagination, I don't need to make things up to entertain myself or anyone else for that matter.
What I looked for in this forum was the understanding which some of the members here have freely given.
That's all.

Okay now we have both said our piece and cleared the air. Bully? Maybe, but I'm honestly saying what others are thinking as well, but are too polite (or afraid) to express... I hope you find whatever you think you're looking for...
Just be real! I am...

I thought about this latest interchange all weekend. I have to admit, I was very disturbed by it. I have to admit, I'm not crazy about angry confrontation, so that's part of it.

Yet it seemed like a lot of hurtful things were said that probably didn't need saying -- especially in a public forum. And a lot of intolerance for who other people are.

One of the things that boomer women can do is create more wisdom in the world. We can do that by being true to ourselves, yes, and rejoicing in that. At the same time we can deepen our knowledge of ourselves so it becomes no longer necessary to lash out at others. And we can extend our compassion for ourselves to others. At the same time indicating boundaries when people cross them in a polite, but firm way.

I do want to apologize for answering NL's questions publicly. Due to the nature of this forum, it was probably something best answered with a PM.

I'm not saying this well, but I was really disturbed by the interchange and am not expressing this as well as I can.

Take what you like and leave the rest.

Somehow I missed many of these posts.

Casey, I see nothing wrong with your responses. They are educational.

As far as the angry confrontations are concerned - if we gals have nothing nice to say to one another, then we shouldn't respond to one another's posts.

I think that's fair.

I don't see it as angry. I see it as give a little, get a little.

Supportive doesn't necessarily mean telling people what they want to hear or being a wuss. Nothing wrong with ladies speaking their minds, whatever that leads to. Let them say what they want. They're all big enough girls to deal with replies from strangers on the internet with a grain of salt. They will still all go on with their lives just exactly as they please.

I think you do not need to be a referee.

I think I resemble the retired woman who wrote a book!

I think that I am really asking for a more than "give a little, get a little." Yes, things can go on the way they are, which is why I hesitated to post my feelings. But they are my feelings and my reaction to what was going on -- not trying to be a referree -- but saying, "I object."

I don't object to people disagreeing -- that's healthy. I do object and don't see the necessity of doing it in a mean way. One of the reasons that our political system is so horrendous at the moment is that all of a sudden its o.k. to be nasty and look for the jugular rather than debate the issues. People can have real emotions and say real things without seeing who can strike the lowest blow.

Because it doesn't just affect the people involved. It affects those of us who were reading a post and becoming involved in a discussion that went south. And I believe it's time for those of us who object to the behavior to say so.

So I did.