There are several problems I have with getting old and none of them are the obvious ones.  

     #1  Not all women with gray hair get the respect their male counterparts do. 

     #2  Much of what I say is attributed to my age rather than the wisdom that just might have come from living longer. 

     #3  My daring has to be all Mouth because there's no way they'll let me in the Army. 

     #4  I can be distracted from deep thought by chin hairs; (note to my beloveds:  See the website  Chin Hair Exterminator.)

     #5  I feel time is running out for me to defend America and President George W. Bush, and how I'm not really a R.I.N.O. (Republican In Name Only).  This last item is the one that gets me cranked up the most.  There are plenty of people out there defending America and the President, but there don't seem to be many standing up saying, "I'M JUST AS MUCH AS REPUBLICAN AS YOU ARE!!!

Thank goodness for Christie Whitman's "It's My Party, Too!" campaign web site where those of us who disagree with other card-carrying Republicans on some of the social, moral, fiscal and foreign policy issues.   I took hope when I learned that there were other people, like me, who like Mrs. Whitman, resent being un-labeled a Republican and kicked off to the side of road because we have differing views from other Republicans. 

Splinter groups are nothing new under the sun, it's been happening since people first congregated and someone drew a line in the sand and said,

            "You're either WITH us or AGAINST us!"  And the response was,

            "Well, okay... But what if I don't agree with you on this one point?  Will I have to join the other team even though I really don't fit in there at all?"

            "Yep.  You got it.  If you want to be one of Us you'll have to subjugate your free will, keep your mouth shut and vote the way we tell you."

             "But what if I just can't do that?"

             "Then you'd better put on a warm coat because you're going out into the cold."

Well, I'm back in from the cold and I don't plan to shut up.   Welcome to the battleground, my fellow moderate Republicans. 

Wish I had the guts to get a tattoo, something like:  "Conservatives are not all Ultra."   That wasn't my best effort; I'll keep trying to think of a substantive, perky but not "in your face" tattoo, one that says - permanently, I guess - I am my own woman and you'd better realize it's better to have me on your side than not.

                                                       Go Grays!