Yeah, Meg,

isn't it amazing how much a woman can do when she is unattached and focused on her own life.
When we're younger our parents trains girls to need a man, want a man, and depend on a man. In many ways I am my own man. I am self made because I also chose to ignore the voices that would dictate my actions. I champion your discovery of the power of honesty and wish you well.
You go girl! and never look back with regret!

Thanks, and nope, I don’t regret a thing. Well, if I could do it over again, I wouldn’t have drank so much when I was in my twenties, but hell, that was fun too. And yes, some of us most certainly ARE raised to depend on someone else.

When I was in junior high, the girls took home economics and the boys took shop. The schools were telling us what we needed to learn. When I asked what we should do about college as a junior in high school, I was told that, “We have three sons to put through college, if we spent that money on you, you would just end up married and pregnant so it would be a waste.” So, I decided to go into the Army. After taking all of the tests, I decided to tell my parents before I signed on the dotted line. I was told, “If I thought that a daughter of mine had nothing better to do with her life than go into the Army, I would be highly disappointed." So, do you know what I did after high school? I eloped to Reno with a guy I had only known for ten days and I immediately became pregnant. And when he cheated on me what did I do? I left him and met another one by whom I did become pregnant and I had to get married again.

I don’t blame anyone else for the things that I did, not one bit. I am sure they would change some things if they could but for the time, it was the proper thing to do. They honestly felt that they were doing the right thing.

But it showed me what NOT to do with a little girl. I raised my daughter to assume she was going to college. She is 25, single, beautiful and she takes care of herself. She has never and would never date a married man and she has never become pregnant. She is charming, bright, funny and like I said, she is a beautiful woman. I am so proud of her.

My parents were doing the right thing for the times that they were living in. But society changed just about that time and all of us who were raised to be sweet little housewives found ourselves in a world were women were expected to be “liberated”. I never asked to be liberated, those women took me with them to a place that I never wanted to go along in the first place. They said we should all be free to do whatever we wanted and then they made a mockery of the role that many of us were raised to fulfill.

I think things are changing quite a bit now. I hope so, anyway. I hope that we are raising our daughters to take care of themselves. Those self sufficient women will never have to stay with an abusive liar, they will know that they can take care of themselves and their kids. If the women are self sufficient enough, the men might tend to think twice before cheating or being abusive. We can always hope anyway.

Gail, you don’t have to like it, but Kelso is my name. Your married boyfriend gave it to me. Twice. I have to go by it...DUH! When the divorce is final, I will have my maiden name back but since it bothers you so much, I may just keep using this one for public purposes. Yeah, actually, I think I will. Thanks for the clue. If there is anything else that is bothering you, let me know. I will do THAT some more too. As far as some of your other accusations are concerned, I believe you have been misinformed. But that’s OK, if it makes you happy, have a party. Vex told me that you were just a nut who wouldn’t leave him alone. Are we going to believe everything that he says? If so, we are in for a world of hurt. Have a lovely day sweetie.

This photo shows that you are indeed absolutely radiant. Might I add bright, witty, articulate, attractive and very classy as well?

Why, yes you may, Kyle. And might I say, you have impeccable taste. :)

Meg Kelso