What's that quote -- "comparison is the thief of joy." I forget who said it. Oh, Susan, you need only to focus on your own writing. I get blown away by some of the excellent writing on here too. But we each have our own writing voice, and yours is a good one. I'm not just saying that either. If it wasn't, all of these people would not be reading your work. I think that's kind of neat that your former colleague found what you wrote. We all want eyes on our writing. No need to be shy about your gift with words. Like the good doc said, "Go home, fuck for fun ..." No, wait, that has nothing to do with writing. You know what I mean -- fuck around with your writing for fun. Like you said. Fear and anxiety is such a killer of creativity. I've been there many times, too. I alway write so much better when I'm feeling good about myself. You're doing just fine. Keep on going. OK, sorry for the corny pep talk. Glad to see you writing again.