Mmm, very interesting. Meditation is good, but visualizations don't generally work for me. Still, this is good stuff to think about and adapt. I do have issues with this kind of stuff, especially when I'm feeling down or low-energy myself. Remember when River said something like, "I feel everything; I can't not?" Yeah.

Thanks for sharing, Andi and Steph.

Teppy and Andi - I'm not really here, but thanks for sharing your thoughts on empathy and shielding. I have similar issues from an ASD perspective. (It's a common misapprehension that all autistic spectrum types are unable to empathise, but some of us are so far the opposite of this that we get mired in others' emotions - or our misperceptions of those.) I often have trouble distinguishing my emotions from those of others. I've learnt a few techniques to deal with it over the years - mainly NLP stuff, like methods of dissociating from a memory or experience - but I'm not very good at it. Anyway, thank you both for talking about this. It's easy to feel like you're the only one! (Especially when I'm surrounded by lovely, but ridiculously normal people, as I am in my work life at the moment.) Andi, do you have any links to info about the type of meditation you do around this?

In not-unrelated stuff, I have a doc's appt next week, and I think I'm going to stick with the Effexor. It's very helpful, despite a few side effects. It's nice to be feeling a bit better. And to be able to work!

{{{Shir}}} That all sounds really complicated and painful. I won't pretend to know what it's like, but I can imagine (from how messed-up my arguments over Israel with The Girl get) that people's strong feelings over some of this stuff must be very difficult to handle. Especially when people are already oblivious to women's situation in society. I wish you patience and strength. As I was saying to The Girl yesterday (she was stressed over someone who won't think about his opinion on trans issues), sometimes people need a lot of slow, careful education before they even begin to rethink their opinions, but I still think it's worth the effort. Your Hollaback work is awesome, and you are a star. (And insent, on a totally different matter.)

Thinking of you, smonster. You sound like a great teacher.

Chronologically answering:

{{smonster}} I got nothing to offer you but hugs. Sorry. But I'm glad for the chance to hug you, even if only virtually.

Thanks, everyone, and especially Typo Boy for extremely good advices which I'll think of how to carry out. Just after shutting down my computer last night and heading to bed it hit me - I am doing the best thing possible to handle this situation and trying to state my arguments rationally. I do it by doing most of the battle virtually - where I know I can write and write well, where I can edit me posts and comments and emails and think of them before I hit "send", where I'm in best terms of control. And it's working. So I'm already doing all that I can do - wording myself carefully, sensitively and rationally while building a base of evidences from other women and LGBTQ. And when it'll be up and running, I'll be able to say "you know, it's a complicated issue. I have a strong stand in it, but it's better if I'll send you something first in email before we'll talk about it". If I could only figure out what to say by then, well...

On empaths and shielding: Like others, I want to thank you for sharing your feelings on the subject (I didn't know you write somewhere online, Andi). Because it makes sense in some cases for me. At first I thought of it wrt the empathic listening I'm practicing daily thanks to Hollaback Israel and the 1325 projects (and I think that sort of listening makes me a better researcher). I do have a problem there, which I acknowledge, for I am taking upon myself too much (getting better at it slowly but surely. For 3 months I run Hollaback Israel almost on my own, and did it daily. After almost caving in under the stress and pressure, I'm now working on it 2-4 days of the week, and only few hours per day).
But then I understood something else. With the closest to me and my friends, I always pick up their mood. If they're cranky, I get cranky. If they're thrilled, so am I. I know a way of shielding myself from that, but then people think I'm not sociable and all that jazz, and I do enjoy some of that kind of connection. But I never thought of it as something that takes a toll. Not saying that "wow, I'm an empath and all of that!" just from reading about few things online, but it makes sense, in a way, to me. And like other recent posts, I know I can get very hurt from romantic relationship (which is maybe why I'm avoiding from it like The Plague). I remember myself in the past, thinking that I feel too much. I think I avoided full connection with a lot of people for a long time because of that, as a sort of a shield. It's VERY hard for me to trust anyone completely, too, because I'm just not sure if I'll be able to bounce back from a complete and utter feeling of betrayal after trusting someone completely (not just in romantic/sexual relationships). On a daily basis, I have my ways of shielding myself and venting. They might not be perfect, but it's something I can live with.

Stay safe during the snowpocalypse, people. Stay home, drink a lot, and write funny drunk posts over here (why yes, it's All About Me And My Will To Read Your Drunk Posts).

Timelies!

It's a snow day! Except for Greg, whose boss got into trouble for calling a snow day when it wasn't a complete blizzard, and now won't call one at all. At least he has a ride to work with a coworker instead of having to take the bus.

But it doesn't stop in wars. Juarez, Mexico with its drug wars (second most dangerous place to women in the world, after Darfur): the murders of the women and girls there have nothing to do with the drug wars in themselves. But a lot of social tensions are usually directed towards who the society considers as its weak. At most cases and most places, these are women.

Shir, I don't *need* statistics, but I would love the source for this. Mostly because I represent people from both Darfur and Juarez seeking asylum in this country and this sort of information could be useful in convincing a judge to let them stay.

I'm not sure I can help you with data on Darfur, but I know an activist in Mexico. I'll contact her for something official, as the information came from her.

Oh, no problem. I just thought it might be easily citable, if that's a word.

ION, school is closed again today due to cold. I went out and started the cars to be sure they would start. The Honda has a tire that is too flat to just leave, or put air in, but I think I can drive it to the tire store and buy new tires. Yay, me! I was hoping to spend $250 unexpectedly this morning.

All the public schools around here are closed today, but the university is open. I'm unsure of the condition of the roads, though, so I might call in and say that I can't come in today.

Wow, I am feeling incredibly defended right now.Which is weird, because throughout my childhood and youth, I was regarded as exceedingly sensitive and my emotional life was like riding a mechanical bull, well, not quite at all times, but a lot of the time.It's not now, and although I have worked on it, I feel that I can't claim some sort of brilliant emotional mastery...I guess when I put up boundaries, I don't fuck around. occasionally, I miss the highs. And it's hard to let go now...but I guess it's worth it for some equinamity

TCG's office wasn't opening until 10 today, but he has had a 2 hour commute in this weather so he left at 8. They just called now, at 9ish, to say that he didn't have to come in until at least 11 and they may have to close for the day. Of course he's already halfway there. They are on the list.