It's not about not being remembered or considered. It's about the reasons for the exclusion in this particular case. I boiled them down to one of two, neither of which are fair or give me a chance to speak up for myself.

But it's all ok in the grand scheme of things. Yes, I do learn from these situations where loyalties lie, how much my company is valued, etc... And really, my ranting isn't as much due to feeling bad about not being able to participate as it is about simply wanting to have equal opportunity in this life... Over 25 years of life, and I know that's not always possible. I rant to help myself deal with that, and to speak up for myself here... not to call anyone's attention to my frustrations or to ask for reparations. But thanks for the words-o-widsom anyway.