Right Sisters
Sorry I haven't written for a while but I have been run off my feet (although sadly not by a handsome, fit, virile, young man). I'm sure that many of my American sisters know I was on "The View" yesterday (The View is one of the top daytime talk shows here in the USA and hosted by Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Walters & co.) The interview went well, even though I was thrown a couple of curve balls. You can go to this link to see the interview.
However, I am so so totally devastated and gutted. Anyone who knows me well knows that it has been a big lifelong dream of mine to meet - and be interviewed by - Barbara Walters. The 'Most Famous Other Women in the World' finally get to talk candidly so to speak. And - I thought - that after all she wrote in her book about her affair, that she would be the last person on earth to judge me! Sadly I was very WRONG!! Very wrong indeed....
The reality of my short meeting with 'Ms. Walters' was, and is, the biggest shocker and disappointment of my whole life to date (and hell, I've had some mega ones as many of you will know) because of what she said to me back-stage before I went on air. For any of you who saw the show, BaWa and Whoopi ripping into the brilliantly sharp commentator Glenn Beck from FOX News (the previous guest on before me) for SO long meant that my interview was actually pushed to the next segment because they ran out of time; it also meant that Barbara would apparently then not be able to be on the panel of hosts interviewing me as she had to leave. In hindsight thank GOD she had to leave, as what I am about to describe would have happened on air and I would have looked like a right clown I can tell you as I had no answer for what she said to me. To be honest, I have never heard anything quite so ignorant ever before. (*If you're reading this Glenn - thank you for being on before me - and I am here for you, whatever you need.)
So, I went up and introduced myself to Barbara behind the scenes, and told her how thrilled - even honored - I was to meet her, since she has been "where I have been" and how we hence had "a lot in common" kinda of thing, adding how "I wished she was going to be on the panel to be in my corner." Well, Bab's turned round and said to me, "Oh no my dear (without even a pause) I have never been a Mistress!!" I said, "Err hello?? What??? I saw you talking about your mistress days (with a black senator no less, and can you imagine in those days how bad a thing that was for her to do) last year on the Oprah Show, and I read about it in your book." She replied with, "Well I may have been the other woman but I was never a mistress, my bills were never paid for me. I was never financially looked after!" and she looked at me with complete disdain! With that, she slowly picked up her handbag and turned to leave. Her parting shot was the most interesting though. She turned to me and said, "but, if I ever did it again I would make sure I was."
So there we have it - MORE denial. Incredible. Everybody seems to be living in denial these days of who and what they are. But that is Barbara's belief I guess (and there were no cameras on us so this was her being her) and her way of absolving what she did perhaps. That must be the hollywood slant on being the other woman. My blog - and my anger today - is fueled by the poignant comment left by an anonymous mistress named 'Wolf Cries Alone' on my blog page yesterday. The very 'user name' she chooses as her handle is heartbreaking in itself. Wolf says that she cannot even afford to buy my book right now, not until she gets paid next Friday, yet, as you will read in her comment below, she is currently living out the pain of having an affair with a married man. I'd love to know what you think Wolf? Do you call yourself a Mistress? I can see in your comment you do. If so, don't dare let Barbara hear you, it would blow her theory - as from the nature of the comment you left me it does not sound to me like you are having any bills paid for you by your MM right now, and that you seem in a bad financial place in general (bet his wife is doing ok of course though eh Wolf???)
Actually I am going to post Wolf's comment here for all to see (*and Wolf please email me your mailing address so I can send you a complimentary copy of my book asap!!). You will not cry alone any longer my dear. I am here for you. And for the record Wolf, my mistresses at my Mistresses Anonymous chat room are livid about all this. Come to http://www,mogulus.com/uk2la
WolfCriesAlone has left a new comment on your post "A SONG for my SISTERS.......":
Wow, Sarah, you hit the nail on the head with this one (song by SJS)! As a fellow poet and currently a mistress, you have described me to the core. Can't wait to buy your "manual" next friday. (When I get paid). Can't afford your book as yet, but I will see if the public library has a copy I can read as it sounds like it's a must read for any woman not in her right mind and get's into an affair, like me.
Posted by WolfCriesAlone to "Pillow Talk" with Sarah J. Symonds at May 22, 2009 11:41 AM
Please send me your comments ladies as I am totally outraged by Barbara's words to me. I sure as hell was not having 'my bills paid' by Gordon Ramsay, even though I am constantly referred to in the media as 'his mistress!'
I am really outraged by Barbara's hypocrisy and mindset as I had AT LEAST expected support from her. I have to say that all of the other hosts on The View were wonderful to me and so gracious. I would have expected them to be the ones to make me feel cheap if anyone were to - as Sherri has been cheated on and Elizabeth is happily married, but they were lovely to me. I can't believe it was Barbara who has made me feel so cheap! I thought Barbara would at least be someone who could relate to me and to our plight! I was even going to tell her that her 'coming out' made all of us mistresses feel less stupid. I mean if Barbara Walters - the biggest female talk show host in the world - can choose to be in an affair with a married, high profile, man it made us feel better about ourselves - or it at least did me anyway. What she said to me is like us both being (ex) drug addicts but her saying to me "Oh no dear, I was never a crack-head...I just liked to shoot up my arm on the weekends - just for fun and for recreational purposes...but, I was never one of you!"
I'm off for a cold shower to try and calm down!! I truly am raging mad at this now the more I think of it. It doesn't help that the temperatures here in southern California are in the low 90's either!!!!!!!
I want an apology from Barbara and I want to do a one-on-one interview with her on national TV to dispel the myths she is self-perpetuating. For the record Barbara you have really have insulted me. How dare you look down your nose at me like that! You said you'd read my book last weekend - if so - then you will notice that the title is a "Handbook for the Other Woman" - that means YOU! Call it what you will - you were still sleeping with someone else's husband so, for the record, you are no better or worse than me or the thousands of mistresses who write to me for advice. You might want to remember that for your next book! I may be many many things Barbara but I am not a liar nor a hypocrite. If only you could say the same. Plus, I have helped hundreds and hundreds of women get out of their affairs with married men and used my wrong doings to help others. I guarantee you can't say the same.
