as

for me...

Just a few months ago a friend in my home said, "How can you afford to leave your copies of ONE lying around when you have so many people in that might question you upon seeing them?"

My copies are left in the open, because of wanting people to know I have no fear and in this express my rights as a free person. They are also left in hopes that anyone seeing them will pick up one and read an article or page that might bring them closer to understanding. Is it not the goal we as individuals should be fighting for, their understanding us?

I go on saying to my frightened friend, "Once that page or article is read, I hope it will lead them to ask questions, which I'll gladly answer, for I believe curiosity is the basic element towards understanding."

Now an example is needed to show the skeptical reader how my actions have paid off, and one such example took place a month ago—

A home town friend of mine now in the army spends his weekends at my place, and has been doing so for about one year. We both live different lives and it's just a matter of mutual understanding. A friend of

his came to New York city a month ago, hoping to relocate here and sought to share living quarters with us. From the beginning I was glad to have another opportunity to study how the other half lives, so I welcomed him. He was in my place only two hours when my friend had to leave on business. When he left I explained to my new roommate the way I live, and that by living with me it meant also being in contact with my friends.

His answer to this was, "If it makes you happy to live this way, then that is your business, however, I understand very little of your ways, perhaps when we get to know each other you'll enlighten me on a few things." I have complied and he now knows the history of my personal way of living and that of our struggles through his reading ONE. This is a person confirmed to his way of living yet curious enough to want an understanding of ours. There must be thousands more who would like to know.

The two men just mentioned are in their mid-twenties past the age where their ways will be basically changed by mere understanding. I'm

17