Two quotes from Alice Walker, as I was roaming around, I found only two, and they couldn�t be more appropriate for me in life right now. With things going on around me, with my family, with my friends. People consistently moving and growing and changing and learning more and more. Hopefully applying what they learn. But I digress. The quotes, written or spoken, I know not which, by the amazing Ms. Walker:

�No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow.� And, �Don�t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you�ve got to make yourself.�

So, there is a bit of family drama going on. But also, a bit of a difference in how I�m responding to this family drama. People can get so upset, emotions, particularly the negative kind, are escalated to the point of being uncontrollable. I do not engage in it any more. I hang up the phone, I simply walk away. And this kills them. They think I don�t care. Now, here�s the fine line about that -- it�s one thing to care about someone. It�s quite another to allow yourself to get caught up in unnecessary bullshit.

When someone creates �upset� for themselves, it shouldn�t surprise them that I�m not commiserating. There are plenty enough incidents to go around in the world that we have to deal with, incidents and situations that we do not have such a big hand in creating. It is to those I direct my attention. This other shit? Sorry. Love you, care about you, not responsible for pulling you out of your shit. I no longer take an active role in rescuing, I no longer put any energy in understanding why some people prefer to be miserable and angry. All I�ve done is point out how unnecessary these situations seem to me that are bringing down the ones that I love. And then I am simply stepping back into whatever positive light is lingering in any other direction.

In regards to the above (lawyer speak), I leave you with the following quote from Ani Difranco: �Just let me go, we have to be able to criticize what we love, to say what we have to say �cause if you�re not trying to make something better, then as far as I can tell, you are just in the way.�

Oh, and quickly, in other news, I had a lovely ol� time hanging with Blove last night before dinner and a movie with Dad. And I got the funniest and most creative card I�ve ever received from the Lovely Lizard and her hot-to-trot man. I brought it to work so that I can continue to giggle. Make it a great day, people! And do me a favor, will you? Give yourselves a little more credit� across the board. Because you�re awesome.

-Barbarella

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