"I was dating this guy and his parents were away for the weekend. I went over to his house, we hung out, & threw back some beers. This guy I was dating was a total stoner surfer dude. I could never understand what he was saying, I would just nod my head & say yeah, he was really hot so I didn't care. So, I was hanging out w/his brothers & his boys, and "the guy" I was dating disappeared. About 10 minutes later, he came up to me grabbed my hand & led me upstairs. All of a sudden we're in his parents bathroom, candles are lit & a bath had been drawn. Next thing I know, we're fucking in the tub. I was sitting on this ledge & there was this damn fern tree behind my head. So, me & this guy are really going at it, fucking like crazy, and the whole time these damn branches from this tree are in my face. I felt like the bride from 'sixteen candles' trying to brush her veil out of her face. It was such a pain in the ass. Eventually we finished & went to bed. So, my learning experience & that BIG IMPACT on my life is...never have sex near trees, plants or bushes b/c they just get in the way, make things awkward & kill the mood... but it was still good to a certain point. –M."

"So my learning experience is never be satisfyed with where you are. There is always a better place and people will appreciate your wanting to escape. (unsigned)"

"I woke up at 4:13 AM, walked out my front door neglecting to put on clothes. In my yard I began digging. By the time I was done I had fashioned a roughly conical hole 4 ft 7 in deep and 2 ft 6 in in diameter. I crawled in, tucking my knees against my chest in an attempt to look inward. Gradually the darkness enveloped me and I began to see through my surroundings, seeing my hand and arms as the bone and tissue they really were, seeing the dirt, roots, and sod as their constituent atoms, electrons circiling nucleii in an endless race around a sphere that could have been the giant orb we call earth I was sitting in. I was able to reach downward and inward to peer down with a bird's eye view at this microscopically enormous world. As I concentrated I could see oceans and landmasses clashing and sturggling, fire and ice destroying and creating in endless cycles. My view turned to the green color of chlorophyl as life sprouted and spread, engulfing my view with shapes and colors oddly familiar. From the algea and plankton sprouted trilobites, crustaceans, fishes, amphibeans, reptiles, mammels, primates. For the last tenth of a second I saw all of human civilization pass by in a flash untill nothing was left but gray dust. From my unique godseye vantage point, I briefly understood not the true question or meaning, but the innert motives of life. As a human mule, I understood we were neither the first or last to exist on this planet, our uniqueness stood in the fact that we are the first one's here to discover love. Now that we have braved the struggles of nature to retrieve the gift of love, what as a human race are we supposed to do with it?
-W. N. R."

"When I was seven or maybe six, whatever. My "cool" next door neighbor gave me my 1st skateboard. I didn't know + he sure didn't know how that 1st little mini freestyle deck w/no tail, no nose, tiny trucks + redish pink worn down wheels would impact the rest of my life. I was hooked on skateboarding like a junky is hooked on dope. I had to have it, couldn't live w/out it. I needed it in my system on a daily basis. Now almost 18 years later I've gone through a stack of skateboard decks waist high and somewhere I still have that tiny freestyle deck + thoughs little red wheels somewhere in a box in a bastement. The point is that skateboarding has had a positive impact on my life since a very young age + still does stronger than ever, + always will as long as I can stand on a board + give one little push.
-L. D. P."

"I TOOK A CRAP THAT WAS LIKE 20 INCHES LONG... THAT MEANT A LOT TO ME, IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, NO SEPARATION. IT WAS PART OF ME, BUT BROWN, AND WHOLE..... IT WAS FUCKING SO REAL, BEAUTIFUL, YET KIND OF SMELLY. THEN IT SNAPPED OFF AND WENT DOWN THE TUBE NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN, WHAT A PUSSY."

"Something that changed my life...
-well most recently I met a guy here a Spence Cafe and I brought him home and he materbated in my bed. Who does that? He thinks he's so cool. But more importantly my father passed away my senior year in high school... I am now a graduate of West Chester and it's just begun to impact my life. Love and respect to whoever has experianced a loss of a parent. I know what you your going through and I'm there for you wherever you may be. -D?"

"9-11-01 has been the most major impact on my life. This was a very tragic day for our country, but it was a life lesson for me. I am a firefighter and I was a firefighter when this event occurred. Unfortunately this event demonstrated that our country was no longer invincible. This inspired me to take my volunteer activities to the next level. I now work for Congressional Fire Services Institute, an organization which is a non-partison policy making institute charged with educating members of congress on fire saftey issues. I was also inspired to go out on my own and lobby for funding for our nations first responders. God Bless USA. T. L."

"The biggest impact on my life has been joining my sorority. I never imagined I could be so close to 56 girls. I have made friendships that will last a lifetime. Some people have negetive pre-conceptions of sororities that are completely false. My sisters are the most genoune, caring, and beautiful people I know. They are the most important people in my life. (unsigned)"

"I had a one night stand with a married man. The doozy of it is that I have to work with him every day. I experienced bad Karma right away. $600 later I am still healing from the evening. Lesson: DON'T DRINK & FLIRT! (unsigned)"

"One Sunday at church, where I had just started to go after an (?) 10 or so years there was a guest speaker and something he was saying just went right home to my heart. I couldn't progress in my spiritual life until I abandoned my anger and resentment. I had to FORGIVE. For my own good. Like lots of girls I was perpetually pissed at my fucked up dad but this was just holding me back from being an open and pure and loving spirit. So after a week or so I did it. I wrote it down in a list to let him know just incase he wondered if like most girls I was pissed at my imperfect dad and I let go of the ugliness and I was set free. And I think, no I know he was set free too. That was more significant than the news that came 3 weeks later that he had inoperable lung cancer. I am eternally thankful that I learned my lesson before it became a regret I'd have to live with for the rest of my life. God is good. Live, Love, Forgive – C."

"Out on a date. Rainy night - cold. Although feeling cheery. Go out w/ a guy who lent his car to a Mercedes Dealer for a "test" He drives a diesel VW. Mercedes wants to produce a diesel - his excuse. Two trashy thin blondes walk into the bar we are having drinks at. He walks up, leaving me at the table, to hit on them. Started talking to the HUMBLE guys next to me, and made a rreally great friend. (unsigned)"

"Well, about one week ago... I went to this CRAZY hippy/redneck festival which took place in the mysterious Pine Barrons of NJ... There, we made friends with a guy named Wavy Davy...AKA...The JERSEY DEVIL... He inspired me to live in a trailor, have fun, take home-made acid and not give a fuck about this psuedo-perfect society we call the United States of America...Long live Wavy Davy and his alternate reality, which for some reason seems more real then this world's actual reality... Much love to ya Davy – B."

"5/28/05 Sorry, I'm not writing about the topic. Driving into town tonight reminded me of the last time I was here. It was Joe's sportsmans Lounge then, and frequented by the likes of George Thorogood. Years ago, believe me and I'm feeling to old at 40 something, to be here but I got talked into it so I could hear the band. I also remember when the laundromat around the corner was the Corner Bar and Jitters was a hippie hang out! Turks Head. The Right to Life Office was a store called Mother Earth and I bought my first pair of hip-huggers (with much trepidation on my mother's part). Life's a trip. -M