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Aug 5Liked by Shelly L Francis

Well said, Shelly! I hope to offer comments later.

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Thanks so much, Bob. :)

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Hi Shelly. I promised I'd be back with more comments. So much going through my head after reading your newsletter. Voice. So elusive, so intangible, at least at times. Have you read/listened to the podcast done a while back by Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen? Titled "Renegades". All about voice. Bruce speaks of searching for his voice, being a quiet person by nature, trying over and over to find his voice with his music. Well worth a glance.

For me, voice is growing in importance. I too am often afraid to speak about what troubles me, concerns me. I have tried in some of my blog stories to address gun violence in schools, an issue that deeply pains me. I don't have a large following, so it's not likely that I'll get negative feedback. But lately I am moved by Hemingway's quote: write hard and clear about what hurts. So much hurts these days. But I do see hope, finally, in recent events. Occasionally I feel like giving up on writing. But it's all I have. That's where my voice lives.

Thanks for prompting my reply. Keep up the great work!

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