Terragen, photofiltre and shared vision..See you all very soon!!! Hi everyone! No I am not back but the future is looking promising for a return in January!! I came tonite to post this one because I have met the kindest and most superb artist whose vision is so like my own for our world ..This image is dedicated to him because of the shared vision, tho giving credit where its due, he is both a better artist than I and his vision is clearer but I learn quick:-) The story below is the story that started me years ago on a journey of heart, for the homeless, for those less fortunate and for our world and the things I see very wrong with it. The story is given to you along with a challenge for 2006. Please, enjoy the story that is the heart of me and accept the challenge...its truly about love...my love to Alex... maelstrom A violent or turbulent situation: caught in the maelstrom of war. A whirlpool of extraordinary size or violence.-- Some have read the words I wrote for They Shall Remain Faceless but now I would like you to know the true story behind them... this is the passion within me, the pain I feel is real, deep and I am sickened by the callous USA, not because of my own situation, but because I remember walking down the street one day with my son and there was a homeless man, with no legs, dirty and drunk and his clothes were soaked with urine, but...he had the most beautiful blue eyes and the sweetest face beneath the dirt and I could see into his soul and saw that he wished he were walking with me, perhaps as my child, to have a new start and a new dream... and the American dream...he was a vet...shunned by the very country that he fought for...condemned by everyone, ignored by most, many making a wide swath around him,...I can't take that, I am wounded beyond repair at the ignorant freaks who run a government for the government, by the government and whose very exsistance on "our" world is a fat freaking lie!...I can't take another human hurting..my words are for this reason...I had no money to give him, but I had the lunch I had brought for my son, I reached down and took his filthy but amazingly soft hand in mine and said "Welcome home and thank you" and handed him my sons lunch...he cried and then he whispered barely loud enough for me to hear.."No, thank you.." My heart broke into a million pieces...yes I know there are some who choose that life but there are far more who do not..I say "if you have to wear gloves fine, but reach down and touch someones hand/heart today, someone homeless, less fortunate, old or unwanted doesn't matter which, but do it, for him/her, but for you too because it will change who you are, it will make you the beautiful human you were meant to be" and that is who Lynn is to some degree...I wish I had been there when things turned for any of you, I would have supported you then as I will now, because I truly love, even in fear, I love...hope you like this Lynn or this facet of her.. I am not educated, finished 9th grade, but I am street smart and I taught myself well enough to pass the marine corp entrance test which is used for intelligence testing or was in California, I have taught Russian and Ukrainian immigrants to read English so they could live here somewhat easier, I have adopted enough childen over the years (not legally) to qualify as Santa myself almost and more, I think I am a fair human, I think I could be better, This is my New Years challenge to you, and I hope that I get tons of wonderful heart stories, I hope it for you...Together "We" can make a difference and a better world for our childrens, childrens,children...Because I share his vision I dedicate this to Alex, thank you Alex for the support, renewing my vision, making me want to create and thus opening my heart again, humbly, your friend.---