It may seem a little like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted but I think we all need to focus on healing now.

They say that those who are unaware of history often repeat it. Such a true statement. We should never forget history's lessons. The violence in Iraq appears to have reduced, though at the time of writing this, ethnic differences in within the country threaten to spiral into an internal war, but the war in Afghanistan continues even though the members of the coalition have decided to pull the plug and leave pacification of the country to Afghanistan's own defence forces. The scourge of land mines, cluster bombs and unexploded ordnance will be with us for many years and will continue to kill, maim and destroy the lives of the innocent.

Why is it that we can spend millions of dollars on more and more efficient ways of killing each other but a minute fraction of that on clearing the unexploded devices left behind?

About me? Describe myself eh? Phew! There's a tuffy! Mmmmh?

I'll give it a go but if you return and find this different than the last time, think of it as just another layer of the ol' onion that is me ( that's my excuse anyway) multi layered.

I'm a realist, with my feet firmly planted on the ground but with my head in the clouds.Nicheren Buddhist I have to plough my own furrow so to speak (then again don't we all?). I make a good friend.I am highly intuative. Far too empathic for my own good sometimes. Easily brought to tears by the terribly bad and the wonderfully good things in life.

I am a gregarious person with widely differing interests in life, an eclectic taste in music and wicked sense of humour that DOES recognise limits and exercises respect at all times. My favourite women are bright, witty and painfully some times cuttingly intelligent (I can take it).

I Believe William Shakespeare to be the God of Literature. I am alive and love it.

This is only one layer of the onion that is me. I find it really hard to talk about myself so please look at this as a work in progress.

I've heard it said that it's sometimes easier to speak or confide in strangers. If you'd like to chat via Flickrmail why not leave a message! What's the worse that could happen?... Um?.... A reply from this idiot? Haha!