I stand corrected, Ron: my apologies. I guess I wasn't reacting to your use of the term, but to generalities that I've heard from some traddies over the years that tend to dismiss songwriters as navel-gazers. There certainly are navel-gazers and song whiners, but they don't last very long... it seems to be a stage that most songwriters go through. I went through a profound stage, when I though I was wise beyond my ears, but fortunately, it didn't last long. Learning a craft, as songwriting is, usually starts out with expressing what we know best... ourselves. That's probably why you hear so many young songwriters writing self-centered songs, with nary a trace of a sense of humor. Unless someone quickly grows out of that stage, you won't hear them five years later, because most people have a limited tolerance for that kind of music (myself included,) and they won't find a place to sing. Hopefully, they'll discover how limiting we all are as a subject of songs.

I've also got my knickers in a twist when someone said, why is it that people who sing traditional folk music are such terrible singers?

Anyway, Ron, I have the greatest respect for you and your taste and love of folk music... sorry I came on so strong.. I know that we are brothers in folk music. I wasn't speaking for myself or my own music, but all the wonderful songwriters we BOTH love and admire.

Jerry