{{{bonny}}}

but I do remember this hilarious curriculum about drugs in health class in 7th grade, where they taught us all the "street" names for drugs: blow, smack, etc. So that we could better communicate with our future dealers?

Hah! I DON"T recall this, but I DO think we had to learn the lingo of STDs (like "the Clap").

I went to public school, so we had the boys vs. girls puberty talks in elementary school, and then the health class "DON"T DO DRUGS!" and "OMG SEX!" talks in middle school. We did have a required semester of health class in high school, but I don't recall much sex ed in there--I think they figured it was too late by then, since we also had a nursery in my high school.

I don't recall not knowing where babies came from, but I had one of those "Where Did My Little Sister Come From" books, when she was born when I was 4, and my brother was born when I was 6, so the "a mommy and a daddy love each other very much" intro and then more detailed info was pretty well laid groundwork.

Oh, and I did have to take Catholic Sunday School "supposedly well known figures like a rando football player talk about not having sex before marriage" bunch of classes, also in middle school.

I'm just sputtering.

and sending the brackets and ma~~~

Oh, bonny. If there's one thing I've learned, you never know where the triggers are going to come from. Which is an awful, awful thing.

So sorry. {{{}}}

{{{bonny}}}

Sometimes the humans make me despair utterly, and sometimes it's just as shocking, in the other direction, how much people can survive with grace and wit and selves intact. I just wish we could find some way to get to the grace without the terrible pain.

Bless you, sweeties. Please don't feel sorry for me. I stand firm on the foundation of...even with all that, I became me, and that's not bad.

It's just, every few blue moons, as you say amyth, with no apparent cause, I just sort of deflate.

Honestly, I really wrestled with saying anything at all because I don't want to be that ugly wet blanket. But I couldn't shake it...and this is one of the safest places on earth to be me.

I couldn't shake it...and this is one of the safest places on earth to be me.

Those are both excellent reasons to speak up here whenever you need to. And I'm so glad you became you in spite of the godawful path to get there.

Brackets and ma are because it is not a good day, but really you are a strong, successful, warm human being. I'm sorry you had to have a hard route, but you did do it.

and ION, I made a pound cake from this recipe today

[link]

It smelled really good before it went in the oven . smells so good now

I hope I can send brackets anyway {{Bonny}}