I have to agree with PF actually...thanks to the Army and the job security it provided my mother was able to raise two children and the self discipline and esteem she got from her training she did so without killing either one of us...and we were horrible children...it may not be the answer to all life problems but sometimes it can be the thing for a person who has no idea where the future will take them. Now not to get on a tangent....the answers to Dadaist's post...

1. self esteem...it relies more on getting to a point where you are happy with yourself regardless of anyone else.

2.meeting people.....as nike says...just do it...there are always places to meet new and interesting people...sometimes you just have to look.

3.being down....usually just a nice drive on a sunny day around here puts me back in a good mood.

4.jobs...the newspaper and the internet have hundreds of listings everyday...isn't that hard to find a half way decent one if you look hard enough

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"I blame my mother for my poor sex life. All she told me was, 'the man goes on top and the woman underneath'. For three years my husband and I slept on bunk beds."