We need our marks, our small illusions; few of us can bear to go naked into the world's gaze. And people will kill to keep their clothes.

In 2008, I was the woman who thought she had the world by the tail: the "perfect life."

In 2010, I was the woman without hope who thought she had no life left to live.

Which woman am I today? Neither. Both were illusions.

... she knew in her heart that to be without optimism, that core of reasonless hope in the spirit rather than the brain, was a fatal flaw, the seed of death.

... she knew in her heart that to be without optimism, that core of reasonless hope in the spirit rather than the brain, was a fatal flaw, the seed of death.

The great question, is there anything at all which is worth fighting such a war about, with the devastating loss it will bring? I believe yes, there are some freedoms which to sacrifice would be EVEN worse.

I work reasonably hard. Though probably not harder than many people. I work probably eight or nine hours a day, six days a week.