We just want to say, thank you!!!

You're welcome. This is my first and only social network, so give yourselves credit for attracting the trust of someone like me.

@frogvalley **Readers, forgive a slight detour to follow up on previous comments.**

As I grow older, I have the time to think about past events. The working years were a stressful blur. You're right -- some aspects of the past were bad, yet many were good. Families were stronger then. Most poor people maintained their dignity. America's founding principles were remembered while people worked towards making the country better for all.

As a white person, I was in a position to experience what African American and Latino citizens experienced in the 1960s and through the civil rights era. I learned my black history before the books were compiled for publication.

I had to reassure a loan officer that I was on birth control before I could get an auto loan.

Sexual harassment and assaults started in my young teens when I looked at least 5 years younger. I was trying to reconstruct those types of experiences: my best guess is hundreds of times. Luckily, I escaped the rape attempts.

I was one of the first women on the Air Force's flight line. I give the military credit for trying to let all US citizens explore their potential. That said, my generation of women were ill prepared for physical repair work. I overcame lack of experience and those who demeaned my potential to achieve success. I spent the rest of my working career in male dominated specialties.

I taught myself gardening in the 80s as part of my personal growth. My herbal studies started a couple of years ago. Now I have all of you to help me on my learning journey.

We shall enjoy each others' company.

Yes, thank you to all of you! I love this community and have already learned so much from all of you!

As I grow older, I don't feel like I'm getting older! Back in the day, college tuition for women was higher than for men. I had to threaten a law suit to a bank who wouldn't give me a credit card because I was a woman. I had to fight off many unwanted advances from men. In some states, women were not allowed to own property! Times have changed. I was also denied a raise because it was given to a man who was supporting a family...even though he was single! I was furious.

What worries me is that the young women today don't know how important their freedom really is. How hard we had to fight for some equality. They're giving up some of their dignity to defer to the men in charge. This scares me. Also, I'm dismayed that the racial tensions from the 60's are revisiting us now. We should have grown more as a society. But, I'm very optimistic for the future! I'm so glad we are fighting back the "old ways" and opening up new doors.