Living in my house growing up, there was always intellectual stimulation and creativity. We had constructed a parallel universe with its own belief system, at times opposed to convention. For better or worse, we were a matriarchy -- where the women and girls were served by the men and boys without question. Yet we were also in the middle of Hollywood before the days of "girl power". In this conflicted environment, I was constantly thinking about the constraints of society. I was restless, angry, seeking, questioning, commenting on society at large.

Now, I have crafted a life for myself once again. A parallel universe with its own belief system, in almost every sense opposed to convention yet grounded in a superior morality. But this time I pay little heed to "normal"society. Rather than chafe at its bounds, I simply ignore it and choose to live as I do with a sense of freedom. What I have gained is a feeling of contentment and happiness. What I have lost is the sharpness of my perceptions of society at large. It's all right to have one's own little dream world, though not forgetting what lies beyond. . .