Dear Wes, so sweet indeed... no, you certainly have NOT offended, nor has anyone that I know of definitely, it just happens sometimes. This was not meant to make anyone feel bad, I apologise that you have felt angst because of it (unless, of course someone has been deliberately disparaging & ungenerous, in which case I do hope they reflect on their intentions & the effect, it wouldn't hurt would it?).

It was a write that "fell onto paper" (or screen rather, these days), reflecting inner concerns no doubt, but the exercise here, for me, is to explore the actual writing, the "story" is kind of secondary in a way.

I always tick the heaviest option for critique & AM happy to be critiqued heavily, but am always shocked if someone places a personal attack (as they sometimes do). Essentially it is their loss, it can't make them feel better surely, how could it feel good I wonder? Still, it should NOT affect us if we have not done anything intentionally to deserve an attack, yet sadly I still feel undermined & vulnerable when it does... I wish so much that I had "thicker skin", I'm ok outside mostly when that happens, but find that in the wee hours it haunts & eats at me, creates sadness, & a lack of access to action is it's most pointy bit if you know what I mean. It does hurt despite, I wish it wouldn't, but I am not about to disapear from Neo again, due to any bullying, I am just recovering my ability to write again & I have MISSED it so desperately, any writer would understand that. So thank you for your chivallry & please don't fret in case you have caused any distress, absolutely not. This has to come down to an inner challenge, am I resilliant enough to manage a sense of rejection if one comes my way?... I seem to manage in my "real" life pretty well, though I admit I am gorgeously surrounded by good-hearted & wise people for the most part, who know the value of integrity & compassion. I worked hard wih the difficulties of my life to get to a point where I actually feel I am most worthy of such company.

Anyway... &&&... they are called "Ampersands" & I LOVE them, I think I explained somewhere else, to me they are a symbleof inclusion & acceptance, of addition & embracing life, & the shape of them is so curvy & sensuous... However, I see it is insensitive of me to continue to impose them when I do suspect you are among the majority who prefer to maintain a more traditional constancy of the english language, I shall cease to fly my flag of rebellion & compromise my very personal preference (alliteration?) since it is just that, & quite indulgent of me to impose it here... Ta for your input, feel free to "blunder" all you like, it is the intent that is hurtful if it is aim that way, I am not THAT sensitive that I don't recognise that... & yours is pretty clearly benevolent, all is well. I just want to refine my writing again.... & thank you for the compliment of being pleased to find me here, the feeling is mutual, your style is very unlike my own poetically speaking, but I am sure i have much to learn from you, & you seem so studious & determined to find the diamonds that are available to one here if we dig (within our own resources & those offered by others), I admire that so much, I feel sure you will dig up many jewels from your own heart & soul, inspired by others or discovered on your own.

Cheers
Wes, & thank you

Anni

My wonderful scientist man tells me he uses that "~" quite a bit when I enquired if he knew what it was... I like that one too, lovely wavey thing, but not for what it is created... (there's those elipses again, another fave of mine as well, I love anything that makes one pause perhaps?) ~ is aparently for symbolising "approximations", so here's the maths:
~ = approximately

Cheers
A
ps I don't think we should feel guilty for using symbols.... truly everything is symbols, no?

Yeah, love it...