This is wonderful news, Mark. You'll be great. I wish you all the best.

in regards to being authoritative, don't worry, mark, that's what i'm here for.

But I've never been very good at dealing with authority, res.  :-P

And on my better days, I'm capable of doubting that it exists ...  I don't think the Universe has any particular interest in whether we're right or wrong, or about notifying us which is which.  There's just actions, and reactions.  With, I tend to doubt, fairly little of what we would call "justice";  again, because justice limits the desirable consequences, and I haven't seen any such limits.

"Be the change you'd like to see in the world."  At least partly because otherwise, it might not exist (and because paper money doesn't last as long.)

We all have an ego, sed.  We all need an ego;  it's our sense of personal direction.  Without it, we're aimless ...  What's needed (yes, as everywhere else) is balance;  our needs against everyone else's needs.  With the known limitation that no one else will take care of ours if we don't, and that no one else will want to be around us if that's all we do.

Thank you for the encouraging words, everyone.  :-)

Do you write software for a living now Malign? Would this be a big career change?  If so what made you decide? 

Congratulations to making all these difficult decisions, Mark!  

And thank you for writing about this all; it's such a good read. I'm sorry the longer version of your blogpost is lost...

Good luck!!!  

Sorry I left that open question, Vic.  I did write software, for twenty-five years.  Then, in quick succession, I got laid off and my dad died and the house I had owned with my ex finally sold.  That left me with no more ties to Northern Virginia, so I moved.  For the next year, I lived off what my dad left me;  the next, I took a job at a local big-box store.  Now I've been there eighteen months, and it's time for something different.  But yes, a big change.

What made me decide?  I've been interested in psychology almost since I realized that I needed its help.  :-)  But talking on here, and recovering from my marriage, are what mainly convinced me that I might be able to give as well as receive.

The application is almost complete.  The amusing thing is that it's my lack of social skills, specifically networking skills, that is becoming a hang-up.  I am having a hard time gathering recommendations from people I've worked with, because I suck at maintaining contact, especially of the purely self-serving kind that seems to be required.

i hope things work out, mark. good luck.

Good luck with your studies big bro ?