Blue Dahlia: You seem to have assumed that I disagreed with Rick's version of PWP "reality," which I did not when making my suggestion. The fact that Rick may well be on the mark makes the suggestion more worthy of consideration, not less.

Rick: As always, I appreciate your postings and perspectives as a PWP who has long-term personal experience, extensive knowledge and a kind heart, I really like the proactive stuff -- inspiring advocacy is not only good for our collective efforts but for individual sanity, especially for those of us who had to give up careers and miss the focus and sense of accomplishment that work (ideally) provides.

Having recently accompanied my sister on her brutal 7-year death march from cancer while I silently lost much of my ability to parent, dance, write, swallow, smell and sleep, discovering along the way one horrific truth after another, please do not presume my outlook is rosy.

I'm just sayin' that painting such an unmitigated train-wreck of a picture could have dire consequences. And, while life as we have known it is over, life is not over. It is changed; we are changed. Inexorably and forever changed. Our disagreement here may be purely semantic, or our perspectives may be completely different. What do you think?

Dear Paula: I am glad my post caught your imagination, and thank you for trying to make me part of the solution. Right now, I am up way past my bedtime again...
Rose