Sal,
ransomnote, wtc911 and Bobalu have gotten a room.
Fear is their friend and they want us to be like them.
Fat chance!
I have tasted much fear as a molested child and beaten wife.
I will NEVER partake of even the tiniest sip of that fear, again.
I would rather die fighting because *that fear* was worse even than death.
[and I don’t “need” a dog to take care of myself or “feed my ego”...not at this age, having been made stronger by surviving all that previous crap. Onward, into the fray!]