(Although it did take them a while to acknowledge her publicly. After she was institutionalized, they explained her disappearance by saying that she'd gone to be a teacher, or joined a convent, or a few other stories, until 1962, after a few reporters had found out the truth.)

I think Eunice means acknowedging her before she was so seriously disabled. They didn't stick her in a home when she was a child, she went everywhere her family went. There was general knowledge, I believe, that the one daughter was a bit "slow" or "different".

The "they were all overachievers except her" comment seems to be the same quote re-quoted everywhere, I don't know if we can assume its the best assessment.

My own surely not best assessment is that she looks, in comparison to her siblings, like mildly retarted kids I grew up with looked in comparison to their siblings -- a little softer, a little less-focused.

[link]

It's funny, this page has the heading "Does This Young Woman Look Retarded To You?" [link] and I think, "Yeah, she looks like Billy D."

And if being with Billy in marching band is any sort of indicator, you don't need Papa Joe screaming at you to get pretty darn frustrated and frustrating if you're even only 'mildly' retarded.

So, last night, Date Girl and I drove out to Angeles Crest, found a dark spot (filled with many other people), laid out on the hood of my car, and watched the Perseids while holding hands.

I have no words to describe how wondrous and special this is turning out to be. I'm terribly afraid everything is going to go all kerflooey soon, just because it always seems like that's how my luck goes. I have to keep reminding myself that the past is not a reliable predictor of the future, especially in matters like this.

I have no words to describe how wondrous and special this is turning out to be. I'm terribly afraid everything is going to go all kerflooey soon, just because it always seems like that's how my luck goes.

At some point in the future, no matter if or how or when things go kerflooey, you will be able to look back and know that you had this magic night.

I have to keep reminding myself that the past is not a reliable predictor of the future, especially in matters like this.

Oh, the past is a perfect predictor of the future, provided you keep living in the past an not move on. Yours truly being a prime example.

you will be able to look back and know that you had this magic night.

That's the other thing I have to keep reminding myself. And it's not the only thing that's been more than a little magical over the last two weeks.

It's not always easy for me to just let things be, but I'm trying, and it seems to be working, and I am being surprised and delighted frequently.

Yours truly being a prime example.

::snuggles tom::

Oh, the past is a perfect predictor of the future, provided you keep living in the past an not move on. Yours truly being a prime example.

Seriously loving you right now, Scola.

Oh, the past is a perfect predictor of the future, provided you keep living in the past an not move on. Yours truly being a prime example.

I think I need to write this on my wall. Or the insides of my eyelids.

I think I need to write this on my wall. Or the insides of my eyelids.

Or on my bathroom mirror.

As a desktop for my home machine.

TOTALLY.

{{{Scola}}} Here's to better days, for all of us that could use some. OK, now I feel a bit better about rejecting someone's story so harshly. But it was dreck absolutely. Maybe I read these things because I'm the only one who'll bring the hammer down?