Who dismissed anything you are doing? Not me. I was in a senior housing small apartment for 5 summers in Boulder until this last summer. One daughter was living in Boulder and found it. Hey, across from the Boulder Public Library! When I was raising those kids, I used to wish the damn libraries would stay open until midnight.

The ladies there had awesome backgrounds, some very difficult but they survived. One, her husband left and took the car. She had 2 children and no nothing. Another helped put her husband through a doctorate and then he found a colleague he liked more...she had 4 children and was living on what she could scrape together and went to nursing school. In those days, men could leave the wife and kids with very little. They were "ordinary" in a sense but I certainly appreciated their accomplishments. I miss old ladies!....I was also in Alanon for 4 years, going 3-5 times a week to meetings....when it came down to it, the most "ordinary" had been the most inspiring.

I have some friends here but they are more into their 2nd childhood or being entertained or eating out. I, on the other hand, just recently reached the status of "adult". Long story: a mom who did not like me, a lousy childhood, failing at everything. Getting preggie and married at 18; then I started from scratch. Living on peanuts, making everything from scratch, educating myself.. Zero identification with other married women. I have always been into projects:: making anything, inventing, researching. ....Since Oct 7, : Palestine! I am so angry. I just hope this doesn't screw Biden's win. Very few give it a thought. As my dear X says, "You can't do anything about it."

Yes, I can. I've left messages. I knew about Cambodia and the other terrible situations but this one makes me very VERY ANGRY.

I give you credit for working with people to help them. I grew up thinking NO body liked me so I avoided people. Serious low self esteem. I've lived long enough to now like myself plenty. I think I'll take a clue from you. There's a Monday evening thing at the English Language Library (2 blocks away) where those who want to work on their 2nd language, expats and locals, spend a couple hours "conversing". I'm joining in.

Thanks for getting P.O'd ... ........You: "Scholar, historian, writer, artist, occasional philosopher, rabble rouser. Prefer chocolate to booze".....I just gave up all booze and now I am "shot from guns". It was so debilitating.