OK, so yesterday started with finding out that a dear friend passed away. It wasn’t a surprise, she’d been quite ill for a while. I’m really grateful that I got have lunch with her a couple of months ago, where she actually was rallying, but still frail. But… sad. She was lovely and had, I think, an enviable life. More detail at a future date, I think.
But I spent the day with a to-do list, working diligently, and got some good stuff done. Right now I seem to be in a sweet spot where I have at least the basics to get what I need to do done without a ton of pressure – my energy and resources match the task at hand. And I recognize the danger in feeling like ‘this is the normal’, because it’s not.
I think we all hit those points in our life where things are awful and we don’t really have the internal or external resources to deal with them, and think, gosh, when I feel better/am employed/have lost some weight, I should deal with that. And then when you do feel better/have a job/etc. you don’t think that’s a problem any more and don’t bother. I am not falling into that trap (this time).
I am finally seeing a therapist. I am finally on a weight loss drug. I am really feeling more normal and moving in the right direction. I feel mildly guilty about not making a lot of progress on the big projects I’d planned for this year – and they’re still important and I will get to them – but it turns out the other things I’ve been accomplishing instead are important and crossing them off the list has made me so much more confident and happy.
So… I guess I’m both delighted that I’m ‘feeling better’ in so many ways, or on the path to getting better – and aware that this is where the work starts, not stops.
So, how about that political bombshell yesterday, huh? A lot of political commentators I trust had laid it out beautifully – Joe Biden is a great and good man and has done a terrific job in his term as president… but should not continue. And Harris was my first choice 4 years ago, and I think the problems she had with her last campaign will not be a problem this time – she will have learned a lot. And she’s so smart and she will decimate Trump if they debate. I still may need to do a little prep research as to what country I’ll repat to if Trump wins, but a lot of pressure just went away. It reminds me in general about the heavy burden I wasn’t aware I was carrying until it dropped – when GWBush was president and was replaced by Obama. And when Trump finally left the White House, kicking and screaming. Again, the work doesn’t stop now, it can finally be allowed to start.
Some things I’d like to see happen if the Dems take the White House, the house and the senate. Guns: remove that ridiculous law that prevents gun violence from being studied as a health issue. All those gun reform laws we want, like banning assault weapons and universal background checks. Maybe even something like banning gun ownership until the age of 25. And gun insurance. And licensing like driver’s licensing.
Reproductive health care. Of course! And the ERA. And expanding the supreme court. And and and…
Of course, we have quite a few worthy potential VPs for Harris, but – and I’m not saying she will or should, but – if she picks Pete Buttigieg… I started thinking about that yesterday and immediately got a little teary. Having a confident openly gay person on that ticket would be some next-level progress. And he’s so good at what he does, and articulate. Sure, I guess you could creeb that he’s possibly the least queeny gay person in the public eye, and will we have real equality until we get some stone butch or femme queen as POTUS? Well, those are niceties for later. I would love to see Doug and Chasten as first and second gentlemen, and see those little twins growing up at Blair House (?) the VP residence and then eventually be sullen teens in the White House.
Random isht. I’m off to England on Friday, for some London tourism and to be a D’Oyly Carte chorister/Gentleman of Japan at the G&S Festival. Since the last 4 shows I did there I was the MD, and was always at all rehearsals, and working my ass off studying and marking parts outside of rehearsal, reading our Mikado rehearsal schedule and grinning at how often I didn’t have to be there was kind of a treat. This is going to be fun and relaxing, I think.
Some book recommendations. KJ Charles is one of my favorite M/M authors and her latest, The Duke at Hazard, just came out. It’s completely delightful and I finished it in about a day. About the same time, Lucy Score, my favorite M/F author, whose oeuvre I consumed in one gulp over the last few months, released the 4th book in her Riley Thorn series, The Body in the Backyard. Just as hilarious as the others. So, go forth and read!
My buddy Mariah also had told me about a new hot author, S.A. Cosby, and a book he wrote about two somewhat-homophobic fathers avenging the deaths of their gay-married sons. It’s called Razorblade Tears and I’m working through it slowly. It’s good, but it’s not hilarious, it’s a tough read. But what a great story concept!
OK, let’s start the work!
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