I learned that there are some people in the world who deliberately set out to hurt other people - and I am not talking about September 11, I'm talking about adult bullies, especially the ones in positions of power. I also learned that I am strong enough to fight back.

I was also forcibly reminded that I can survive even the most devastating emotional trauma and still come out of it laughing - it just took a year or two to get to that stage.

I learned that loving relationships & friendships are the rock on which survivors of post traumatic stress syndrome can rebuild their lives. And those relationships and friendships are as real on the 'net as they are in my own backyard. Thanks, Mudcatters, for everything.

I also learned that I have made certain personal & ethical choices which draw bullies to me like a magnet, and now I am building stronger walls against them while keeping those walls just as flexible and open for people who try to do the right thing by other people. A juggling act.

(This one was the hardest lesson to learn - that I do and say things which attract them to me. Complete reevaluation of my life from a new perspective.)

I have learned that if I am to enjoy my music I have to learn the theory and make it all make sense - take it to a higher level, and start practising in earnest, and not just dabbling. Still working on this one.

Helen