[Warning: There is nothing technical in this post.]

Sum4All,

Sorry to give the impression that one should take anything in life for granted.

One thing I've learned about people, and plans... they are mostly wonderful, but they will let you down from time to time.

I think we are in total agreement. You say, 'Never consider this play as a given... but perhaps as an extremely likely.'
That is life, no doubt about it, and an excellent recipe on how to create a successful long term relationship.

It is true that I am sometimes (?) a pumper for NOT. It is just a point of view. I don't think I'm misleading anyone or influencing them in a bad way. I think my enthusiam is entirely in the open. I will not lie for NOT, I will not give her qualities that she does not possess. There is plenty of fear and negativity out there that I don't feel I need to add to it to give a 'balanced' view, or to tarry in the realm of 'disastrous possibilities'. In fact, I consider the larger sin to be to scare people out of their shares with no facts, but only a series of sophisticated sounding 'what ifs' (not you.. but others).

On the question of attachment - Here is where we depart philisophically: Today, with NOT, I don't see the point about having 'great faith' and 'believing' but not getting attached.

Why NOT get attached? That's the fun of it, that's the spice in the stew. In fact, whether I claimed to be attached or NOT, if you knew the amount of time I spent with NOT you would most assuredly say 'That man is attached!'.

Which is better, after the split up, to be able to say 'I knew something wasn't right about her all along' or 'I gave her my best shot and she broke my heart'. It doesn't really matter, does it... except for having a greater or lesser amount of fun with the whole thing.

OK.. now I'm going to get sentimental so don't say you haven't been warned....

Now IF you come to know that my lady NOT is NOT as she appears, then, regardless of the hurt you cause me, you must do the honorable thing and let me know. I can handle this best with the facts. Of course, I'm not saying that we should ride with her through the gates of hell even if she turns out to be a demon. A man must sever his allegiances when the facts demand it.

But please, don't (speaking generally now... not to sum4all) tell me 'I heard she's not what you think' or 'She is scamming you, she has broken lots of hearts or '' She just wants your money and then she'll leave you..'. OR  'She's too good to be true.' This type of rumour and innuendo I will first resent and then ignore.

I think we both agree, we believe, we have faith, that she is a beauty and that we are blessed to have found her.
There is no other stock that I own today that I can say such thing about (there was one other. I let her go. But that is a story still unfolding).
This is why she is special to me. This is why I, and I suspect many others, are 'attached' to her.

In summary, please know, that I know, that we we are not having an argument, just a discussion, and man, am I having fun!

IMHO

BK
Sir Pumper