I'm an egotistical bestid

Once I told a roomful of people that I'm beautiful and they groaned. This was at an AA meeting, so I felt betrayed because these were the people who told me that I should love myself, but the second I did, their reaction was demeaning.. I followed their disapproving response by saying, "I didn't say that I'm attractive, I said that I'm beautiful, and if you don't agree it's because you're not looking hard enough" and I left, never to return.

My advice to anyone who asks about happiness is that they should stay away from negative people.

One of the reasons I spend so much time on the internet is because it's a way of staying in touch with people who love me and encourage me to love myself. I'm speaking of course about my writer friends. When I say, "Hey, I'm getting good at this," they say, "Yes, you are." When I ask for help. they help. And when I thank them for that help they remind me of something I did for them, and I feel good about myself. It's the reason I love what I do. If you're not a writer, become one, the benefits are not always apparent to people outside the bubble.

There is a small percentage of writers who react negatively when you express a favorable opinion of your work, but they're few and far between. Still, I'll give them this: If they disagree, they'll show you how to become better, and in honesty they're beaten down by egotistical people with closed minds.

Recently--without AAs help--I celebrated 7 years off crack cocaine, and aside from my writer friends only one person acknowledged it. My sister Linda is the finest person I know. She should be a writer. Even if she wasn't very good at it, she has a spirit that we would all benefit from.

Recently Writers Amuse Me released my book Street Life: My Story, and though I've only sold a few copies, the people who have read it (including my father) have loved it. I take little of the credit. When I stumbled into Absolute Write, my writers group, I was terrible. So this blog post is for you guys. I am what I am because you took the time to teach me. You guys are beautiful. I wouldn't trade you for a dozen NY Times best sellers.

Thank you all :)