Homelessness is a terrible thing...[Or, tabulae rasae, a mixed discussion...]

Sorry you found no benefit in my words. I don't think my wit is legendary but it can be sharp. I am more than willing to keep sharpness out of a real conversation and conduct it in a polite manner. Now had you been discussing some Haiku, well then there is a subject that deserves no politeness.

Since when did it become you forum? Were you referring to your thread? I have never yet met one I didn't mind hijacking.

How about this. They are homeless, quite often but certainly not always, by their choices. People are a sum of their choices and some events that happen to them. I don't believe in writing anyone a free pass on that account. I am where I am today because of the choices I have made. Some of them good and a good few that are bad. The majority of them have been good and hence I am not it a real bad way. Could I have been much more prosperous than I am now? You betcha. I have already told that story. I wasted a good eight years of my life. I don't have anyone to blame for that by myself. The only way I spent all eight years without being homeless was by having loving parents and some friends who had faith in me. On the other side of that though I believe in helping others. I have lot of compassion for others as they round the corner of realization becuase that is when they need the kind of help that I can give. Until then though, as someone who understands a little bit about the kind of mindset that has you down, there isn't a great deal that I can do. Be kind to folks and show some concern without enabling them is about all I know how to do for those. For those who are coming to grips with their situation, well there I can do things. I can help financially and provide the kind of encouragement and friendship that helps someone while they adjust thier lives.

This isn't a rant about me or a "look at me" type post but since we are talking about it I thought I would lay it out there. I can appear to be pretty uncompassionate at times and it really isn't the truth at all.

PartiotDan, I am most certainly now of the opinion that it is not "fruitful to the discussion" when posters, such as yourself, post things like "you forum." If, however, this is your own form of eubonics, I completely understand. If you cannot speak, or write, the King's English, I respectfully request that you demurr to those who can...

 demurr? Better take your own advice OWO! LOL I am assuming you meant demur but only by the closeness of the spelling. Doesn't to demur mean to object? You request him to object to those who can....? I believe you may have meant that he should defer to those who can but I try not to speak, or write, for others even if my King's English is correct.

LOL MAK, Got a dictionary with complete definitions in your back pocket?  Because I can use an assistant here. I'm finding it difficult to get into the spell check/grammar mode over here. Definitions are just killing me. ;)

Actually CC, I was raised by older parents with excellent vocabularies who made us kids use the dictionary all the time. Someone actually had to read a definition to a word we didn't know at many of our mealtimes. And Lord help ya if you asked for a definition without looking it up first! LECTURE!!

But why I made the post: I'm not a language snob. I think everyone should know our language but not everyone has the same experiences and/or advantages. I just wanted to point out to OWO that a comment was made about PD's "King's English" and in my neighborhood, you'd better have all your shite straight before you going pointing fingers at others' piles. :)

That's true. Hence, I use the edit feature often.

I wish I had your parents. Education at the dinner table would have sure beat farting. LOL 

While I may miss getting the y added to the end of your when typing, I would never have made the mistake of word choice that Cookie made. Now that I know for certain who you are, youR words give you away, I am done. You have no intention of discussing anything in a meaningful way. You intend to bait people into fighting with you and I will have none of it.

Excellent point that brings up about 'choices' CC. Not every choice is your own.

I think a lot of choices are not our own, but we have free will to over come some choices that are made for us.  Thus, I don't invite my brothers to dinner. ;)