I'm not sure I've ever felt worse as a human being in my lifetime.

[wordstroken]

21. I hear you, John. Loud and clear. You are exactly on point. No one could have said it better. You've helped me put my

scattered feelings more into focus. If I didn’t have my writing of novels to escape into, I don’t know what I would do.

My entire life — starting when I was eight years old and saw two drinking fountains side by side in the county courthouse labeled “White” and “Colored” and figured it out because my father was the worst bigot of all who punished me over and over again with his accusations that I was a “n**** lover.” That started my long career as a staunch activist for civil rights, voting rights, racial equality and that has continued every day of my long life, including winning lawsuits on behalf if disabled children.

One of the highlights of my activism was as a Florida rep for the National Federation of the Blind, I had the honor and privilege of meeting and marching alongside Congressman John Lewis in Atlanta’s "March for Independence" in Atlanta, with a photo (proudly carrying the banner), which appeared on the front page of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on July 4, 2007.

Even though I have a doctorate in psychology and health education, it’s extremely difficult to step outside of the “professional role” and maintain a subjective perspective when it comes to evaluating our own emotions and those of the people — and pets — we love.

Thank you so much, John, for all your on-target brainiac abilities to create images with words that apply to me and help so many others here in our DU family.


With much love and appreciation,
🦋 wordstroken