No?

First, read this: http://paronomaniac.tumblr.com/post/52524702850/take-no-for-an-answer

Then...

I don't even know where to start. If I'd learned as a child that grownups can take no for an answer, my life would have been so much safer.

If I'd learned as a child that no was a safe answer to give, I might have been able to stand my ground better.

If I ever believed that my no could be backed up by my own frightening physical power if necessary, I might not have ended up in situations where I was pleading.

I did learn all of these things, with their necessary bumps along the way. What impresses me, perhaps even more, is that my family seems to have learned them too, most of us, anyway.

I'm sharing this, as much as any reason, for the two or three people who said no to me, that they didn't want me in their lives at all. I hope they have found strength from being able to say no to me, and that it's made them better people. And I hope they read this one day and are grateful that I respect their space.