In case you wanted to know...........

We don't really get to know each other very well on this site.

We are mostly a mystery to each other.

I thought that it might be nice for the group to have a better
picture of who I am, or was, and may lead to others being a
tad more forth coming with who they are, or were.

I spent the predominance of my working life as a mental health
practitioner and mentor.

My specialties were with youth and the reintroduction of criminal
offenders into mainstream society. Of course this involved a
tremendous amount of my time being spent in both the criminal
courts and the family court system.

I became very involved in education, interdiction, and even
liaising with gangs to prevent violence, escalation and expansion
in my area.

But this was not a one way transaction. I think that I got a lot
more out of it all than what I put in.

I learned something from each and every person that dealt with.
I always aimed for a common respect, but I received an uncommon
degree of respect. I was accepted on both sides of the law.

My wife used to tell me that I was becoming more like 'them' than
the normal person that I had started out as.

She was right. But I learned respect for others, without qualification,
and I learned patience and I learned compassion.

The whole experience made me a better person, and I smoothed the
waters for all around me.

In all, it was a good trade.



That's me, in a nut shell.

Now, let's hear from the rest of you in this looney bin. Shall we?