My post-disability friendliness invited a lot of this. It happened before,
sure, because being friendly is all that's necessary to invite exploitation.
Taking the risk was easier then because it was also easier for me to
extricate myself from an exploitive situation.

If there is a good side to this, it's causing me to work on self discipline
in areas that I've neglected all my life.  It's too easy to despise and loath
the person who would have the nerve to capitalize on another's
vulnerabilities.  It's too easy to take it out on the next person.

Easy, but undisciplined.  I've repeated this phrase before -- stolen from the
pages of a Presbyterian minister's book, "Resentment is like eating rat
poison and waiting for the rat to die."

I can now say, without hesitation, that this analogy is on target.

Betty -- fraudulant CPer.  See my fraudulent CP pic on two -- count em, two
--  websites -- WOO HOO!

Speaking of CP pics, Bobby -- which guy is you?

In a message dated 4/4/2002 9:48:27 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:


> You know, it's interesting. I was very friendly as a child and while growing
> up, but since becoming an adult and living on my own, I've become more wary
> of people, for fear they'll take advantage of me.  I am normally quite
> easy-going and willing to believe the best of people, but after a few bad
> experiences, I'm much more careful of letting strangers onto my turf, so to
> speak.
>
> I've never had patience with those who profess that I must be special in
> God's eyes because I'm disabled.  To this I say, bullsh-t. I'm disabled, so
> what?  That does not make me any more special than anyone else and
> certainly
> not more agreeable to being encroached upon.
>
> Hoo boy, Betty, you opened one of my prime personal soapboxes.
>
> Kat
>