Beth Siviter:  

Remember me? I was never popular, was kind of bullied and put up with a lot of flack because I was clever: I was never athletic or good at sports, was tall and a little fat, preferred books to other people, didnt know how to relate to the other kids, didnt have the right clothes, was always dumpy, had impossible hair, and didnt have the help I needed to understand why they were so hard on me. There were a couple of very special people who helped me, and I wish I could name them all but I am afraid I would leave someone out- but students and a couple of teachers made all the difference to me. In general though, I would say that Oh well, time goes on and we all, hopefully, grow up. I've long forgiven those who bullied me, and my hope that is I ever hurt anyone they have done the same. - children? Although I wanted children, I never managed to have them, so I spoilt (and continue to spoil) my nieces and nephews- who I adore- instead. Now I have another nephew - he's 4- who is the centre of my world, and I wish I could give him the universe. He makes me feel so happy, and being with him takes the pain away. We have two cats - Harry (Harriet), a 16 year old black cat who loves fuss and attention, and Loopee, a white tortie who is insane, sees things no one else sees, and is afraid of her own shadow. No surprises she is mine! We also had Nels, a lovely cat who died at a young age, but he was very, very special. He would sit on your foot to get your attention. - why I left the USA I left the USA in 1999 to be with a man I met on the net, who has proved to be as wonderful as he was online. My first marriage ended in 1998, when I found that he was engaged in an online relationship that he intended to make real life. After years of violence, and his regular bouts of prolonged unemployment (He would get angry, tell someone off, physically assault someone, and then was shocked when he got fired) I ended it. I got online looking for just friends, but found love. I told my husband, and he admitted that he was planning to leave soon anyway. We made our plans to split up and both felt good about it. I went to England for a month to see if the new man was what he said- and fell completly, totally and madly in love. We cried and clung together when I left, not knowing if I could return. When I got back, my husband told me his relationship didnt work out (he found out the lady he was speaking to was actually a man)so he decided he wanted me after all, but I didn't want to because I wanted to be with my Englishman. Husband became enraged, as usual, and I finally found the strentgth to call for help. The 911 operator got it all - the threats, the violence, the angry words "I will cut you up into so many pieces they will never find the body..." on tape so finally everyone but his parents beleved what he had been doing to me along along. He wasn't the angel they all thought, and I wasn't the B***h he told them I was. I managed to get out when he was talking to the police, but it took the SWAT team nearly an hour to get him out- and even then he assaulted three of them. He was facing serious prison time, but we made a bargain that if he went to anger management classes, he could be released as I was moving to the UK and the only person he was really violent to was me. I begged the judge not to send him to prison- as my husband's angry eyes burned hatred and anger into me as he stared at me from the monitor- he was too violent to be brought to court. He kept his part of the bargain, I kept mine, and he kept all our property. - what happened to him? He didnt get a job, lost everything, wound up living on other people's sofas, including my mother- who always thought he was wonderful- until he nearly punched her. Then she saw the same man I had lived with. But, being a Mum, she persevered with him and did what she could. All the nieces and nephews adored him, calling him UNcle Grrrrr because he would growl at them pretending to be asleep. A few year later, he died a terrible death from smoking related cancer, and before his death not only did we make peace but we renewed the warm friendship that had always underpined out relationship and for that I am truly glad. It was wrong for my mother to allow me at 14 to get involved with a 22 year old man- he wanted me to ...Expand for more