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True
Standing there in the parking lot after the delightful little neighborhood weekly drag show, I was thinking about what a strange grouping we made. There was frumpy vanilla straight ol’ me, probably 15 years older than everyone else in the crowd. Then there was my best friend, R, a reserved gay male as big as…
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Teen Confidence
I was in the DVD section of the library the other day and I heard two teenagers talking. The girl was saying to the boy in an authoritative tone, “No, you can’t check out that movie. It has too much gratuitous violence.” The boy, who was obviously trying to make an impression, said, “You’re right.…
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Generosity
I can always tell when my coworkers are burned out. They stop coming to work early. In fact, some of them will arrive a few minutes early but wait in their cars, only coming in at the last possible moment. They are perfectly within their rights to do so, of course, but what that means…
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Human Brick Walls
99 percent of all the Washingtonians I’ve met are really, really nice, unbelievably cooperative, and helpful. Because of that, they make the other 1 percent seem like the world’s biggest jerks. I have never seen anything like the bureaucratic brick walls that get thrown in front of you out here, and there’s no getting around…
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Waiting to Exhale
I’ve been through some of the most stressful months of my entire life. Death, job hunting, moving, evil and unscrupulous landlady and her ex-convict son, even more evil and unscrupulous internet provider (more about that in a few days) all piled one on top of the other, and it makes me tired. If I were…
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That Certain Something
The older I get, the less I care about the physical attributes of a potential partner. Anyone who is obsessed with washboard stomachs and full heads of hair when they’re pushing 50 is not being realistic. Certainly, be well groomed and have a grasp of personal hygiene, but I’m not expecting a hard body. What…
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The Gift of Friendship
I watched my laptop hit the floor and I heard it break. I stood there for a minute, not wanting to actually open it up and look, wanting to hold on to a few more seconds of being a person who had a computer, and knowing I was about to become a person who didn’t…
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Generosity Makes an Impact
Recently I pulled up to the gate at a tourist attraction, stupidly surprised that I’d have to pay for parking, and realizing that this meant I’d probably have to go without lunch because in my world, every penny counts and there aren’t that many pennies available. And then the parking attendant said, “Go on through.…
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How to Drive Yourself Crazy
From a recent conversation with a friend: Friend: Do you think I’m a selfish person? Me: Not at all. In fact, I find you to be compassionate, supportive, generous, and a good listener. Why? Friend: Well…It occurred to me the other day that if I were selfish, I’d never know, would I? Because I’d be…