i have been on du for a really really long time.

[seabeyond]

last night i went thru a lot of posts way back to june of 12.

i think back to, oh, march of 12. and all i felt way back then. and all i experienced. and yes, what others experienced, too. we are having a little recall on the board, in different ways. because of that, i would like to say right here and now. what i experienced and felt in march of 12 was about what was going on in march of 12. today is not march of 12. what i experience today, and how i feel today, is not march of 12. simple enough, but some people seem to be confused and are actively working on getting us back to march of 12.

we touched on it, a little, on another thread. i have been thinking about the three women that thru a fog of fighting, created this group. and womans, every step of the way, i admired each one of these three women that brought their own unique voices to create hof. it is a truly awesome haven of female love created for each and every one of us. thank you, 3.

from the beginning of march 12 to today i have, of course, had a lot of opportunity to experience so many of the different people that i was butting heads with way back then. i have been host from the beginning so i have had a small environment to listen to and converse with duers, in an environment hostility is discouraged. yea administration, thank you for that opportunity. and kali for continually and repeatedly telling me over and over and over.... get on mirt. i did. i had the greater chance of experiencing the same people, admiring and appreciating their own personal thinking process. when i understand, i make better choices. that simple. i like to understand.

i can think of some names now and how i enjoy them today. and appreciate them, value them. and how we did not enjoy each other way back then. this is a good thing. i am good with this. and i value these people. i think they are well aware of who they are. i am so into expressing how i feel. even in appreciation. so people, stay firm. you know.

there are people that i use to have a base line respect for because i thought they were solid, even in disagreements. and i have learned over time, that there is not even a solid base. this, i find, really interesting. they probably know who they are and that is cool. they get to be exactly who they are. i get to be aware and have no expectation. i will be fine and they will probably be better off, .... honestly.

as a woman, what i am no longer going to allow is forces working to divide women. catty, petty, mean girl style, only i am not seeing any girls. hence, this post in the feminist forum.

i was talking to niece sunday, who is working so hard at grown up at a young age. i say that respectfully. she is 25. i did not even try grown up until 28. she said working in an office of women, they are.... i challenged her on that cause though she is beautiful, to me, she is shy. and how she protects self in her shyness is being snobbish, stand offish. she is getting better, but it is still there with strangers. do not divide a group of women. work on uniting. we are that good.

i think i am done.

lol

life is grand. enjoying each and every minute of it.

[LiberalLoner]

1. Love you, Seabeyond. Love for the HOF too.

[seabeyond]

2. woman. batcha. lol. thank you. nt

[redqueen]

3. "some people seem to be confused and are actively working on getting us back to march of 12"

"Confused."

Aw. You are always so generous

[seabeyond]

4. i am. i am so very fuckin' generous. and i tell you redq, sometimes i do not

think it is appreciated. lol.

i mean that even with a laugh, sincerely

[ismnotwasm]

5. You rock

I've never engaged myself here as others do,( I'm talking, say GD) Still, it was to the point I was outta here. I used to post in the feminist forum, but I didn't recognize it when I came back.

But I do pay attention, I see. I also analyze people. If for instance, someone jumps on every single women's issue thread just to stir shit, I have them down as, at best, troubled. If they jump on every single thread when certain posters (like you) are present just to cause trouble, I have them down as, at best, disturbed and needing help.

What I know about women is this, the insides matter. Personal experiences matter. Intent matters. Activism matters. Gender identification matters. One can be born with a particular combo of X's and Y's, and identify as female, male or have no particular feeling one way or the other; once you're born female, you get all the baggage that comes with it.

In feminism if women wear high heels and make up and spend money on hairstyles, or just in general try to be attractive--for whatever reason--that matters much, much less. When they do not do those things, it matters not at all.

I did not realize my oldest daughter was an adult until she was 26 and an leave from Afghanistan. She sat there and told me what it was like to be deployed in war time while I sat in a dark corner --horrified.

She's a beautiful woman, and dealt with deployment surrounded by males by becoming a hard shell of a person. You didn't fuck with her.

She used to have that 'not like women' thing too, found them catty and often useless, and now she has beautiful friendships, loving and supportive. She now understands "you always bring something to the party" you don't just take and judge.

My other daughters are turning out the same way, through different paths.

We ARE. And we persevere.

[seabeyond]

6. and. you rock, too. with this message ...

i am off to start my day. thank you