The readers luncheon in Portland yesterday was a great experience. Jane Porter's speach was wonderful, a little funny, poignant and eye opening. Every time I hear anyone speak of their experiences growing up and the difficulties they had to live through I am grateful. I wonder how there are so many disfunctional families and people in the world. Yet I teach. And I see the children and it is so hard for me to understand how people can be so cruel and unfeeling. Is there a way to fix this? I wonder. Our wonderful politicians seem to think that all families have money and live the way they do. Yet we see time and again how disfunctional they are. Are we all so flawed?