30 years ago today.. Monday July 30, 1984. I arrived at the bank, threw my Briefcase on my chair, and walked over to John Beattys desk. I sat down, and said Guess what, Im Gay! He smiled and said good for you! uh, what happened that finally let you come out? So I told him the story of the last three days. He patted me on the back, and said he was proud of me, and the worst part is over.. coming out to yourself. and warned to be careful on just how I shout this from the rooftops (my inclination) and to be careful as to who I tell, as this was still not a totally acceptable thing to many people, and it could hurt me, professionally, personally, and even physically. Again he needed to give the facts, since I was clueless. John was truly my 2nd Dad. Or as I said, my Gay Dad. He taught me so much. He groomed me into being a seasoned professional, and taught me so much about the service industry that I could never learn in school or in a book. AND.. I still use many of these skills with my clientele today. John and his partner lived in the far western suburbs. I kept in touch via Holiday cards, and lost touch. Last I heard they were legally married in Canada. If am w/ Shawn 25 years, they have to be hitting 50 years as I want to say it was 17 when John had his little talk with me. Was bummed they didnt make it to our commitment ceremony. This man was a role model to me professionally and personally, and I owe him so much. Now, Joe the Bartender is actually Joe Kozak. Joe and I have NOT lost touch, as a matter of fact is one of my closest friends. Its rare that a day goes by and we dont talk or text. Joe and I have shared so much.. vacations, double dates, lunches, concerts, and afternoons enjoying cocktails. Joe is also responsible for Frank Event Designs image. Joe has guided me from my first logo and image, to what is it today. He is a talented artist. And I thank God he couldnt reach the ashtray that night. I cant imagine going thru this life without him. Joe is truly family to me, and I love him dearly. I cannot put into words what this man means to me. A true friend is an understatement. We have been there for each other thru good times and bad. As the next few months evolved I found myself with a whole new circle of different friends, Some I still talk to today regularly, and some just upon occasion. But one thing we did as a group was to meet and watch this new show on Showtime called Brothers. Again, I think God timed the premiere of this new show, which for the time was groundbreaking. It helped me further understand the journey I was on. It focused on a 3 Brothers, one recently out of the closet, and dealing with his self acceptance, as well as the other brothers and family members. My point is in Episode # 3 Cliff (the Gay Brother)s friend Donald takes him to his first gay bar. Remember my first night in a Gay Bar? Now I didnt have a Donald but this scene is verbatim of my first night of meeting Joe the Bartender? I have NO IDEA how this happened, but watch the interaction between Cliff and Jeff the Bartender. My mouth just dropped. I get choked up anytime I see this. It takes me back to that night all over again And I smile. Watch, then reread the post from 7/28. Its kinda scary the words were a complete exact repeat of what I lived. It just reinforced the fact that I really thought gay people were not Normal. But I am normal. As Glinda said to Dorothy, You had to find that out for yourself. So wish this series would come out on DVD.. Watch... youtube/watch?v=2jM8R5BjbHI .
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 02:03:52 +0000
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