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Rachael Freed's avatar

It may be more sane down the rabbit hole, when the earth is so screwed up; is Covid over, or has it just taken on a new strength to scare and sicken us? Do the 1200+ Israelis with their heads chopped off, burnt in ovens, raped and then shot in the head matter? or do the numbers called out by Hamas counters of high numbers of dead erase the 1200+, make their deaths meaningless? Did Hitler learn from the former US. handling of black slaves, or is Trump learning from Hitler’s "Mein Kampf” or is my seeing right and left, wrong vs. right oversimplifying where we (I) are? This morning I read a letter from Substack writer that there is a huge cadre of popular azi sites on Substack that have not been removed as those who were writing about sexual improprieties were: is one right, the other wrong? Perhaps it makes more sense to have tea with the Mad Hatter than to stay above ground where everything seems so “down the rabbit hole."

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Susie Kaufman's avatar

Regrettably I think we all oversimplify all the time. Finding out what's truel is a full time job. I do want to know what Substack is up to re publishing Nazi material. I heard about it just once a few weeks ago, but haven't known how to pursue the truth of this issue. Also....fascinated by the intersection of free speech and hate speech which seems to be coming up all the time now. Thanks for diving in.

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betsy mctiernan's avatar

Ahhh…I remember. Yes, much like that. And healing takes so much longer! Even a fall where I land on my butt—hiking—leave me with a bruised butt for…way too long. 🤣

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Susie Kaufman's avatar

Good to have that confirmed by you since you are the most active seventysomething I know.

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betsy mctiernan's avatar

Yikes! That was a close call! I had a similar experience in June walking be the fence for campus construction. A pipe at ground level was sticking out into the sidewalk and caught my foot. I went down hard, facedown. Pretty banged up, but no broken ribs. Took 6 weeks for the aches and cuts to heal. Walking is apparently not for sissies at 76. We need to take our mindfulness with us off the cushion. 🤣

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Susie Kaufman's avatar

Agreed. Your experience sounds nasty and closely resembles what happened to me last March when I fell down the escalator at the airport. This was more...what if?

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Jinks Hoffmann's avatar

Thank goodness you did not go knocking on heaven's door. I would miss you and your glorious writing fiercely.

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Susie Kaufman's avatar

A startling experience. It stayed with me for a long time afterward.

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Judith Fetterley's avatar

love the thoughts about writing and how it focuses and delights the brain, even if it might mean that you had better not be looking for a bathroom at the same time.

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Susie Kaufman's avatar

Thanks, Judith. Maybe I also need mental exercises to train the brain to be in two different places simultaneously.

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Carol Sill's avatar

beware those dark holes!

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Susie Kaufman's avatar

What do you suppose is down there?

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Don Akchin's avatar

It is fascinating to see the inner workings of your mind. I love your essays.

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Susie Kaufman's avatar

It's wonderful to connect with people who are on that exploratory track with me. Thanks, Don.

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