Bravo!! I totally agree, I believe at my age it is important to be comfortable in my own skin! I really wish more people would realise how the aging process is part of who we are, we can't escape it, so why not embrace it? Hey...that rhymed! I have lived through the 50's, 60's, 70's, etc. and with each passing decade I have enjoyed the journey. Have there been sad times, absolutely, but with pain comes the challenged of renewing ourselves and welcoming new joys. Like you I look in the mirror and I see the changes that make me question was I ever really young? But I know the answers, there is the history that lies in the pages of my life and I truly believe that we are forever young in our minds. I have become this wild, wacky and zany personality, I laugh a lot everyday, it keeps me sane. There is a naughty side to me that seems to shock younger people but all I have to say to them is Hey, you are just arriving at where I've been and I hope you have as much fun as I have! Thanks for your heartwarming post!!

I think one of the problems that exist with relationships and pending relationships these days is that we really don't take time to really get to know a person before we become intimate with them. Casual sex is kind of the in thing but what usually happens is guys or girls get what they want, it is a temporary fix for what ails them so to speak. They are most likely trying something new and then it's next.... Don't allow yourself to be used and if someone is engaging in sex with you and someone else, it is clearly not cool! STD's are for real, be safe, get to know someone first and don't be fooled by the games people play.

A 5-year-old boy went to visit his grandmother one day.
Playing with his toys in her bedroom while grandma was dusting, he
looked up and said, "Grandma, how come you don't have a boyfriend now
that Grandpa went to heaven?"

Grandma replied, "Honey, my TV is my boyfriend. I can sit in my bedroom
and watch it all day long. The religious programs make me feel good and
the comedies make me laugh. I'm happy with my TV as my boyfriend."

Grandma turned on the TV, and the reception was terrible. She started
adjusting the knobs, trying to get the picture in focus. Frustrated,
she
started hitting the backside of the TV hoping to fix the problem.

The little boy heard the doorbell ring, so he hurried to open the door
and there stood Grandma's minister. The minister said, "Hello son, is
your Grandma home?"The little boy replied, "Yeah, she's in the bedroom
bangin' her boyfriend."

The minister fainted.

*One night , after the couple had retired for

>> the night, the woman became aware that her husband

>> was touching her in a most unusual manner. He

>> started by running his hand across her shoulders and

>> the small of her back. He ran his hand over her

>> breasts, touching them very lightly. Then, he

>> proceeded to run his hand gently down her side,

>> sliding his hand over her stomach, and then down the

>> other side to a point below her waist. He continued

>> on, gently feeling her hips, first one side and then

>> the other. His hand ran further down the outside of

>> her thighs. His gentle probing then started up the

>> inside of her left thigh, stopped and the returned

>> to do the same to her right thigh.

>>

>> By this time the woman was becoming aroused

>> and she squirmed a little to better position

>> herself.The man stopped abruptly and rolled over to

>> his side of the bed.

>>

>> " Why are you stopping darling?" she

>> whispered.

>>

>> He whispered back, " I found the remote!"*

In pharmacology, all drugs have two names, a trade name and generic
name. For example, the trade name of Tylenol also has a generic name of
Acetaminophen. Aleve is also called Naproxen. Amoxil is also call
Amoxicillin and Advil is also called Ibuprofen.

The FDA has been looking for a generic name for Viagra. After careful
consideration by a team of government experts, it recently announced
that it has settled on the generic name of Mycoxafloppin. Also
considered were Mycoxafailin, Mydixadrupin, Mydixarizin, Dixafix, and of
course, Ibepokin.

Pfizer Corp. announced today that Viagra will soon be available in
liquid form, and will be marketed by Pepsi Cola as a power beverage
suitable for use as a mixer. It will now be possible for a man to
literally pour himself a stiff one. Obviously we can no longer call this
a soft drink, and it gives new meaning to the names of "cocktails",
"highballs" and just a good old-fashioned "stiff drink". Pepsi will
market the new concoction by the name of: MOUNT & DO.

Thought for the day: There is more money being spent on breast implants
and Viagra today than on Alzheimer's research. This means that by 2040,
there should be a large elderly population with perky boobs and huge
erections and absolutely no recollection of what to do with them!

I try not to get into discussions about politics or warfare, but this one I could not let escape. First of all, if we ever have the misfortune of being attacked by terrorists who use nuclear weapons or any weapons of mass destruction, we may not have time to respond. The idea that we can wipe out another country after they have attacked us is absolutely crazy! My first thoughts about your topic is if we have any sense at all as a nation, there are 3 places we better not f_ _ k with, they are...North Korea, China and Iran and believe it or not I wouldn't mess with India either. We have already got ourselves in a jamb by going into the middle east trying to fight wars for other people, wars that have been going on for centuries, wars that will exist after our great grandchildren are no longer here. To me talk is cheap and you can threaten people all you want, actions speak louder than words. We are no longer in a position to be talking out of our asses, we just don't have the support we used in regard to allies.

I wish I could say that my experience on the web has been great, on the contrary it has been disappointing and heartbreaking. Deception and dishonesty runs rampant here, people aren't who they say they are and the game playing is simply amazing! I guess it wouldn't bother me so much if people didn't present themselves as genuine and sincere. What attracts you to an ad? You see that there are common interests but more importantly the person placing the ad states that they are "honest, sincere, good sense of humour", etc. More often than not I have found that it is just a way to get you to send photos to them and perhaps their hoping for the opportunity to exchange some juicy email. As an older person what surprises me most is that most of the game playing is done by men in their 50's and 60's, you would think by the time they reach that age they would be mature. They lie about everything, I had the experience with someone who presented themselves as single and after months of letter exchanging, my letters were intervened by his wife. This was shocking and depressing as I was in the process of flying to Norway to meet him. I wish someone could explain to me why men feel it necessary to play with someone's emotions? I have always been honest, upfront, kind, loving, etc., but what do I get in return, the smiling faces that stab you in the back. Further, why can't men say what they really want? If all they want is a BJ, then Damn it, say it! If all they want is a F----, then be man enough to say it! If they're not interested in a long term relationship then why place the ad under that category? There is no such thing as "love at first sight" or falling in love on the web without actually spending time with someone in person. The web affords people the ability to connect with people they otherwise may never have the opportunity to do so. There have been fairytale moments reported by people who have been fortunate to have made a love connection and I applaud them. But I would really like to hear from people who have had similar experiences, maybe a support group is in order, I don't know. Maybe there is someone out there who can tell me not to give up, maybe someone has an answer for what goes on here. All I can say is this is indeed a web that can entangle you.....don't get caught up!

An Irish daughter had not been home for over 5 years.
Upon her return, her Father cussed her. "Where have ye
been all this time? Why did ye not write to us, not
even a line? Why didn't ye call? Can ye not understand
what ye put yer old Mother thru?"

The girl, crying, replied, "Sniff, sniff....Dad....I
became a prostitute...."

"Ye what!!? Out of here, ye shameless harlot! Sinner!
You're a disgrace to this Catholic family."

"OK, Dad-- as ye wish. I just came back to give mum
this luxurious fur coat, title deed to a ten bedroom
mansion plus a $5 million savings certificate. For me
little brother, this gold Rolex.

And for ye Daddy, the sparkling new Mercedes limited
edition convertible that's parked outside plus a
membership to the country club........................

(takes a breath)............. and an invitation for ye
all to spend New Years Eve on board my new yacht in
the Riviera and... ."

"Now what was it ye said ye had become?" says Dad.

Girl, crying again, "Sniff, sniff....a prostitute Dad!
Sniff, sniff."

"Oh! Be Jesus! Ye scared me half to death, girl! I
thought ye said a Protestant. Come here and give yer
old Dad a hug."
------------------------------------

The Invitation (Oriah Mountain Dreamer)

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

=============

You have a situation that a lot of women and men find themselves in, you are in a long term relationship (2 years), you are exclusive, right? Everyone has advice but only you can determine if this relationship is worth your efforts. A lot of men are reluctant to make a committment to women with children. Even though you have not asked him to marry you, he is probably thinking that he will have to be responsible for your children, at least present himself as a father figure, depending on his age and how mature he is, some men just aren't ready for that. As far as him stating that he is "confused", that is a very real possibility. It is not only women that get hurt in relationships, men get hurt as well. I don't know if he is "using" you because I don't know how well he treats you. If he is a man that just comes over to have sex, doesn't take you anywhere, is emotionally withdrawn, doesn't talk and yet he calls you "his woman", I would have to rethink my position if I were you. In 2 years time it would seem to me that he should be able to sort out his feelings, the question is...are you willing to wait for him to do so?

What is the understanding between you and the guy you are currently dating? If you are in a committed relationship and it is both agreed upon to be so, then there is no way you can start dating your "friend". I always believe in being up front and honest with a person. Talk to the guy you are seeing and let him know that you want to date others, if he doesn't agree then you will have to decide as to whether or not it would be worth it to start dating your close friend. Many people find themselves in this position but always say they don't wish to jeopardise the friendship, very often that is the end result.

There are many reasons for various types of social behaviour. Sometimes without knowing we can send out signals that we are not approachable. Very often when women or men are extremely attractive some people are intimidated by them. Their self doubts is quite evident because they think the hot babe or guy won't even acknowledge them. I'm not saying this is the case with you but there are a lot of beautiful people out there who give the impression that they are superior. Just be yourself and if you want to talk to someone, go ahead. If they are not responsive, then it is their loss. I can never understand why people who are in a social setting choose to ignore the people that are present. You indicate that you are "lonely", try joining groups that share your special interests, it's a great way to meet people who like to do the things you enjoy. In the meanwhile, don't worry about people who ignore you, the world is filled with many people who will be happy to make your acquaintance. It isn't You, it's THEM!

Hi and thank you to all of you who have responded to my message. I am always concerned with the safety and well being of people on the web and in the real world, part of my previous profession I suppose. Feel free to say hey to me and whatever issues you like to talk about, I'm here. Shalom

I just joined this site this past week with the hope that is is different from other sites. As an older woman it is difficult to meet people, especially if you don't do the bar or club scene. My experience on the web has had at times been disappointing. People tend to play mind games, dishonesty and deception runs rampant, people just aren't who they say they are. We are aware of the predators who prey upon children and teenagers but the reality is there are also those who take advantage of people seeking to finding companionship. Recently I came across information that I feel will be helpful to anyone seeking romance via the web. There is a site called romancescam.com, it features photos, email addresses, etc. of people that attempt to scam people on the web. The photos depicted are of real people who unfortunately have had their photos misplaced by the scammers who present themselves as such. So the people in the photos are victims as well. I would advise that you check this site out, everytime you get an email address, you can check this site and see if the photo or email address you receive is listed. As always keep yourself safe by limiting the amount of information you reveal in your contacts while utilising this medium.
Good luck to all of you, hope you find happiness here and also make many friends. Hope I get to communicate with some of you, doesn't matter if you're male or female, new friends are always welcome.

Rose

I wish there was a way to pass this message along to the children and young people that are being raised without a sense of purpose. The world is filled with shallow people who look upon people who are different or unfortunate like they are inferior. It is a sad situation, if you have good health, a decent place to live, employment, etc., you should be grateful. None of us can predict what the future might bring. I often wonder what would happen if someone who is so wrapped up in themselves should lose their eyesight or their hearing or perhaps become crippled? Life is a gift for certain but reaching out to others who are in need is an extension of that gift and too many people neglect to see that. Thanks for your inspiring message!