Shambles, hiya, long time no type!!

I really, truly appreciate your concern for keeping things politically correct, because that's what Mudcat is about: trying not to step on people's toes - any people, all kinds of people.

But, the way I see it is that:

1) women often don't participate as much as men in sessions - it's harder for me, I know, to break into sessions when I see other people who appear to be much more confident and comfortable with themselves and their capabilities than I am - musically speaking. Women's sessions seem easier to participate in - to me.

2) we all of us do have different ways of looking at the world based on who we are and it's very nice, very easy on the mind, the heart and the soul to express ourselves to other like minded souls without feeling the need to *explain*. It's like laughing at the same jokes without having to deconstruct the punchline for someone else just so they will get the joke. (I have to admit - I haven't got the "vinegar & water" reference yet, harpgirl. Do I really want to?? BG).

I have always said to my hubby that he should have blokes nights - cards, drinking, talking, the usual stuff - and I make sure that I don't butt in on them at all. He needs his space, he needs to be able to just be himself, and one of the ways that blokes "be" themselves is to be with other blokes. He also has social *connections* (times when he connects without having to explain himself, i.e. be *conscious* of himself) when he is with other computer technician people. They talk about amps, volts, chips, cards, motherboards, circuits, what-all, for hours and they don't have to stop and explain it, they just *are*.

That's what I liked about Shula's Women's Song Circle. It didn't exclude men, because there were men all around us, but it allowed us to contribute, share, just "be" - without having to be conscious of ourselves, without having to explain ourselves, without having to feel different. We just "were" for the time of that wonderful, long, on-going session.

Luv-ya Helen