Shirley

Married my college sweetheart and still love him.

Was robbed at gunpoint and survived unharmed.

Had beautiful creative children, lost one.

Today she would be 25 and no one spoke her name not even me.

I make art, always have, always will.

Shirl, age 58

Farnaz

Moved to the U.S. at age 22.

Came out to my family and told them "I'm gay" at the age 24/25.

Working on my MA at the age of 30 and 3 months.

Grew some balls for the first time and told the girl I love how I feel at the age of 30 and 5 months.

Living and will live my life at the age of 30+.

Farnaz, age 30

Erika

Wrapped myself in Sausage casing.

Worked three jobs to get myself through my masters.

Donated bone marrow to a stranger.

Broke up a fight on Halloween between a 6 foot tall Chipmunk and a gangster.

Regularly goes to 6am Yoga.

Erika, age 27

Connie

I was expelled from second grade for being incorrigible after telling the teacher exactly what I thought of her, using language that I shouldn't have known, but it felt so good!

I rode a bicycle for the first time at age 15 and a month later entered a 100Km race, finishing in fourth place.

I fell asleep on the subway and rode to the end of the line before someone woke me up. I had no idea where I was, having never been there before.

I made love to a sales girl in the dressing room of a high class department store while in university. It was totally spontaneous. I never knew I was bisexual. We were inseparable lovers for nearly 35 years. Our husbands always suspected but never knew for certain.

I sent over 2000 Christmas cards one year, to nearly everyone I had ever met. It seemed like a fun thing to do but took me a month to write them all out.

Connie, age 66

Rosalind

Have had a Norwegian pen-pal for 60+ years.

Caught sailfish off the Venezuelan coast.

Went Hot Air Ballooning in Palm Desert.

Met Cassius Clay in NYC.

Thriving after three open-heart surgeries.

Rosalind

Kasey

Decided at age 6 that I would live in NYC and moved there 17 years later.

Spent my last $24 on a packet of cigarettes and The Muppets Take Manhattan on DVD.

Pooped in my pants on 5th Avenue.

Risked losing someone I love because I wasn't ready to receive it in return.

Proposed on one knee, when I got her back.

Kasey, age 30

Elle

I had my poetry published.

I ate strawberries off the vine in Japan.

I dreamt I could fly.

I had my car stolen, and got it back in decent shape.

I met my soulmate.

Elle, 23

Laura

1. I saw a blind man at the Whitney during the 2004 Biennial- he had a friend with him who was describing the art on the walls.
2. I broke my HIV+ mother's arm when she came charging at me, bloody mouthed, hopped up on pills and alcohol, trying to bite me.
3. I camped out on a beach in Taiwan with two friends, a campfire, and our switchblades.
4. I ate mushrooms and went to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and saw everything come to life.
5. I fell in love, and may or may not still be in it.

Laura, 26

Jen

I told a girl she couldn't spell Timbuktu and she punched me in the face (I didn't know she was dyslexic…oops).

Decided they could not talk to me like that, so I resigned.

Admitted I needed therapy and went.

Embraced death and learned to celebrate life.

I worked hard for love…and succeeded.

Jen, age 36

Dennis

I drove a car over 500 kilometers on the highway with no brakes.

I climbed atop a water tower and stripped off nude and stayed near the top all day and night.

I met a relative I never saw before in line at an amusement park far from either one's home, it was just a random conversation with a stranger until we realized that we were cousins.

I was asked to leave a high school dance along with my date at age 14 because the chaperone thought our dancing was too intimate and vulgar. Alicia had the softest bottom and breasts, and was thoroughly enjoying having me rub them.

I spent a year walking through the London area and exploring the sights, without ever having a room to stay in for even one night.

Dennis, age 54

Kristin

I went to high school prom with my soul-mate.

At 13, stopped my best friend from succeeding in killing herself.

I rear-ended a car.

I went to art school and have a job designing products for a national retail chain.

I conquered years of crippling anxiety through therapy and psychopharmacological drugs.

Kristin, age 22

Alicia

Graduated from a great art school and freaked out about what I need to do to get a masters.

Got in a heated argument with a girl when she said men can't be feminists.

Didn't quit anything when someone said I should based on my chronic illnesses.

Failed Alberga One just a to turn around and ace it in summer school.

Read a 500 page book in one day just because.

Alicia, age 23

Siobhan

I have lived in the same house I was born in since 1947, was raised there by my grandmother who was super strict and spanked me until I was 21.

I have never drank or smoked, did not date until I was 32 and did not have sexual intercourse until I was married at age 36.

I have held the same job which I started the day after High School graduation for 47 years.

I walked nude down a European gay beach in front of at least 500 nude men at age 28 on a dare from my girl friends who would not accompany me.

I did it to shock my grandmother who was furious when we told her.

I have modeled in the nude dozens of times starting at age 40 for art classes, artists, and photographers to boost my self image. I still do it as often as I can and enjoy every opportunity. Things work out in the end.

Siobhan age 65

Terra

I paint for a living, it's hedonistic but it's working (believe it or not).

I left a few dirty champagne glasses out overnight and in the morning they were covered in ants.

I realized that I have a voyeur but am I am too lazy to hang thicker curtains.

I drank a pot of weak coffee this morning as I chipped away at my next piece.

I blow-dried my hair before walking out into the rain.

Terra, age 22

Chesley

I visited a friend in Paris for 14 hours from Amsterdam.
I spent three weeks in Mountain Kaisgau in Kenya interviewing traditional basket weavers around the mountain.
I visited as many hotels as possible in Las Vegas within a week.
I participated in a natural dye workshop with fruits and vegetables.
I reached out to a friend in tears.

Chesley, age 27

Santiago

Not just going but go to the gym.

Committed to a three-way relationship.

Claimed my Jobseeker allowance for the first time after 12 years working in UK.

Had beard since my 20's.

Stop buying clothes that "it will fit me when I loose some weight."

Santiago, age 33

Amy

I modeled in the nude for a "painter" I met while I was working as a barista at Borders bookstore. He paid me $20/hour.

I witnessed the birth of my niece with my mother who grabbed me and shouted "Oh my god Amy,"as her head, like an alien, emerged from my sister. Then I took my niece's first picture with my camera phone. Her eyes were open and I saw her see me for the first time.

I had my first self-induced orgasm when I was 22 years old.

I met my life partner Ethan on a free online dating service called lava life. We laugh and say mockingly "thank you lava."

I created/directed a dance performance for my Master of fine arts thesis project that to me reflected the first piece I've ever made that I was truly proud of and that felt like me and not someone else.

Amy, age 32

Heather

Completely turned my life around from hopeless drug addiction.

Wrote and baked my own cookie recipe at age 6.

Rescued and re-socialized 3 dogs.

Cried and puked for weeks with a heart so broken I lost almost 30 lbs, turns out he dumped me for being chubby. The "skinny" me realized she didn't want him back when he turned his head again.

Became a mother and realized just how deeply my own mother loves me.

Heather, age 33

Brittney

I have lied.

I have created.

I have stayed in one place.

I gave my body to reproduction.

I have lost who I am.

Brittney, age 27

Sujata

I got my first ever water slide accident scar on my elbow after I finished my sliding down the Cyclone at Wild Water Kingdom!

There was one minute left while jumping on a children's trampoline at Canada's Wonderland to let the person know I wanted to attempt do a somersault, I did two of them!

Ended up repeating Kindergarden twice!

Won two claim cases with the Ontario Labour board.

When I was a kid, I learned to play an Indian instrument called an harmonium, the keys are similar to piano with different sounds and notes. I was taking Indian/Bengali music lessons. I got entered into a local children show, a bunch of kids sat on the harmonium. When I came to my turn to sing and perform with harmonium, I just froze! I never did to any performance.

Sujata, age 42

Kara

Found something that I am passionate about.

Lived a complete lie thus far.

Wished death upon my father.

Get a second chance.

Hide who I really am.

Kara, age 18

C

Devoting myself to learning/understanding/knowing Spiritual Mastery (14 years strong and still evolving).
"Ethically" sold crack (never trying it or using it myself, no first time users allowed - no getting non-users hooked, no custy's under 18 y.o., no pregnant women sold to, no fake placebos offered) for over 3 years full-time and thankfully never got caught (yeah, I know, it's fucked up but, I was young and ignorant at the time).
Quit smoking cigarettes cold turkey (7 years no cigarettes!)
Was a uber-prolific youth activist (from 19 y.o. - 26 y.o.) and was actively responsible for being a founding member of numerous Youth committees/sub-committees throughout Toronto/GTA (many of which are still active today).
All voluntary, and yet I still didn't/have not 'sold-out' to any of the so called "PTB", and remained committed to being of service to truly helping especially the marginalized.
Created own, unique, one of a kind brand (and possibly even genre) of poetry.

C, age 42 years young