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Lesley

Grey Matter

Lesley is also a columnist for UFO Magazine. Check it out !

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5.5.10

# 227

It's hard for me to believe, but I have now been writing Grey Matters for 5 years! It isn't hard to believe because I don't want to do it or something like that, but because it just doesn't seem that long. It's certainly not like most jobs where one year seems like five.

According to Tim there are 226 Grey Matters columns in the archive! I did quickly scan through them and, as expected, the majority were UFO related, but there is all manner of stuff in there -- some of it not even related to the esoteric.

Of course, as with everyone scanning through things they have written, there are a few pieces that I would like to completely remove and a lot that, if I had the time, I would like to edit or rewrite. There are probably even some columns in there (thought I can't think of any) that I may have totally changed my mind about since writing them.

Although I have always thought there are probably multiple explanations for UFOs, back when I started writing GM, I probably leaned more towards the ETH. I still think there may likely be ET visitors, but I don't think that they necessarily explain every or even most sightings.

Over the years of writing GM and being somewhat involved in UFOlogy, I think I have lightened up about the subject. A lot of people seem to become more and more bitter as they continue, because they always take it all very seriously and they can never quite understand why others, especially those in Ufology, don't take it as seriously as they do.

There was a time when I was actually concerned with hoaxes, like Serpo, which I am sure there are probably at least 3 GMs written about. Now, I realize that things like that should be treated like the joke that they are. They certainly don't deserve to be a topic that people spend actual time thinking and writing about. Hoaxes are a part of UFOlogy and aren't going away, so it is better to just not give them attention that they don't deserve anyway. Hoaxes are part of reputable sciences like medicine as well. They are a sad part of life in general. There is no sense in becoming stressed or bitter about things like that or you will surely either die young or have a very miserable life.

Over the past about 3 and a half years, I have had some personal tragedies, being the deaths of my 2 sisters about 18 months apart, losing two cats and quite a few of my pond fish to raccoons. After most of those, I took a week or two off from Grey Matters, but once that time was over I was happy that I had something to concentrate on (since I don't have a regular job) and try to start to get back to normal. Of course, as anyone who has has lost someone close to them know, things are never quite normal again ... normal changes to something else.

I think it was during those times that I was the most thankful to Tim Binnall for getting me to write Grey Matters, which eventually gave me the courage to write for UFO Magazine and other blogs. It gave me something to think about that helped take my mind off grief, even if it was just for a small percentage of the time. Some day, I will be brave enough to write about grief and death, but I am not there yet, it is still too hard.

Let me say that absolutely wonderful things have come from GM on a personal level, more so than just helping me to forget various griefs for a while. Someone that recently commented at my blog described Ufology as social networking. Well, that is true, but not in the frivolous way of how most of us accept any friend request that comes our way at Facebook or Myspace. Not only does it make those of us that have had "experiences" feel less alone, which is the reason I got into it to begin with, but you can meet some really great people that you are willing to tell things that you might not be willing to tell your own family. First, I met Tim and there is nothing I wouldn't tell him. I know it is always just between us and that he isn't going to think I am totally insane or be judgmental about it. He is a great friend and so are Regan Lee, Alfred Lehmberg and Nancy Birnes. Yep, four people I couldn't do without and that I probably wouldn't know them if I hadn't accepted Tim's offer to write for BoA.

Also, I have met new friends here in my own city that have had their own experiences. It led us to form a group and, at our last meeting, nearly 60 people showed up! It is a come as you are group, we aren't pushing any beliefs or rules. Among those who attend are Mike from truthseekerforum.com and Norio Hayakawa. I actually met Norio on Myspace when he still lived in California. When he moved to NM, I invited him to come to one of our meetings. Sure am glad that I did that!

Lots of business people like to say "take any opportunity that comes your way." While they usually say this because it will provide monetary benefits, five years of writing Grey Matters has shown that not all such rewards are in cash.

  • Check out Lesley's Blog HERE

    As well as her Beyond the Dial blog