Carole, I know how you felt except my parents pretended to accept it all with open arms when their ulterior motive was selfish and cruel to me. They may as well called me a USELESS slut because they did not care how I felt after they found out. I was only 8-9 weeks when I found out in 1973. Abortions were available in NYC and Dayton, OH, 3 hours from me. I was so scared and a friend who went through it went with me to Planned Parenthood to get info. I could not pull it off. I didn't have the heart. I begged to give my baby up for adoption but that did not go along with my parent's plans. Anyway, you did not stay with the father correct? How could those types of forced marriages last? It messed me up for years and messed up my little girl. She, too, became pregnant out of wedlock (that statement sounds so ancient to use) and did not want the baby. She changed her mind and it got her off drugs for a whole 10 years. Anyway, here we are. My friends all went off to college, sororities, several boyfriends, and big joyful weddings. I was only an observer. Your mother was ugly to call you a slut but no worse than my parents who treated me as one without calling me that. Watch "Juno" if you never have. It's a great movie!

Oh, and, love ya, Carole!