No, my readers are intelligent and honest. They were exactly the readers I needed, better than most writers could hope for. They didn't give me praise I didn't deserve. They told me what I needed to know. It was never about whether or not I could get published, but whether I could accomplish what I intended with my writing. The fault is not with the readers but the weakness of my writing. As for settling for second best, I guess you have to answer for yourself if doing something in a mediocre way is satisfying to you or do you strive to do something better each time? Are you equally happy when your child brings back A's as when a C shows up on the report card? Do you want a second class surgeon working on you if you have to have surgery? Are second class brakes good enough to put on your car? Is silver good enough when you hoped to grab the platinum ring...it's the same color, afterall...so what difference does it make? Only in how valued it is. If you drive into sand, you can spend you time spinning your wheels. I got out of the car. Asked for advice to determine if the car was worth salvaging. Someone else would make a different decision. But then they probably had a better car to begin with than I do. Thank you all for your insights. I don't think it hurts to try on a dream once in awhile and see if it still fits. I see people all the time get stuck in an idea they had 20 years ago, with no recognition that perhaps the idea has not grown and changed as they have. Some dreams last a lifetime. Some dreams needed to be discarded or revised to a better fit. Many thanks. This dialogue has helped me realize the choice has already been made.