'TIL DEATH DO US PART?

"So any news?"

I looked up at the tenant. The night in question was Election night. While my mind could have thought he meant how Obama was doing, I knew he was really wondering about Prop 8.

"No," I answered in response to the question about the Prop banning gay marriage.

"Last I checked," the tenant said, "it was losing."

I frowned. For weeks, my coworker as well as several others had been drumming up support to stop the Prop. Apparently, people rally hated the ides of two men/women together. Would the Prop pass?

In a word: yes.

Better question: Did I want it to?

ARTIFICIAL BEAUTY

"Say Yes to Prop 8!"

My eyes narrowed on Brazil.

"Are you drunk?" I asked.

Later on I told Joel, my coworker friend. He shook his head.

"It's a good thing Art never heard him say that," he replied.

I agreed. Our other coworker Art would have slapped Brazil upside the head. Heck, if that happened on a day I was off work, I would slap Brazil upside his head. Hillcrest was the wrong place to say yes to Prop 8.

Later on, I sat behind the front desk. There was still a bit of light outside, but night rapidly approached. Gay people walked along the sidewalk outside. As usually, it was the gay people on their way to Happy Hour, judging by their dress, their hand gestures, and the fact that they traveled in packs of twos and threes. They did not have a care int he world...except for how much would they drink and/or who they would sex that night.

Maybe it was the fact that I was so used to that mentally. Maybe it was the fact...as several people have said...that no one really did such a big enough Prop 8 protest before it was voted in...people too busy focusing on their sex drives. In any case, I felt at times that many those crazy straights were right.

Gay men around me cannot even make up their minds over shoes, what they are doing during the day, etc. Goodness knew most gay men could not even decide on a decent man. So to marry someone? It made the whole thing laughable...really.

It was artificial.

And marriage...was a real ideal...and not to be taken likely. Otherwise, the gay community would be no better than the straight community. And did the world really need more bitter people from divorces?

Could be Yes on Prop 8 actually be a good thing?

REAL HEART

I looked at the newspaper article. It talked about a couple getting married that had been together for 21 years.

Wow. There were gay couples that couldn't last a week. And here was a couple that had been together for 21 years. It reminded me of Ken telling me about the Arkansas couple that had been together for 5 years.

But that was not all I've seen since this started. There were other couples. They were couples who had been together just as long. They wanted to be together. Old and wrinkled, they still had eyes for each other. And to me, that was sweet. To me, that was hope. To me, that was love. Real, human love.

I found it interesting whenever Brazil would bring up gay marriage. I usually frowned, pondered how much he drank that day, and laughed. Then I made it clear that if I married ANYONE, it would be someone I knew well...and for longer than a couple of months.

However, Brazil made me realized something. Someday, I would like to be with someone, get to know them over the years, and get married. To be in love with someone and look into their eyes every morning. I would love that.

My eyes opened. The night before, Brazil and I were drinking and watching YouTube clips. I guess I fell asleep.

I turned left. Brazil was sound asleep under his cover. I guess he fell asleep, too. For a moment, it made me think about what it would be like to wake up next to someone you loved. That made me frown, shoot up, and leave.

What was I doing with someone I didn't love? Didn't I want something...real?

SOMEDAY?

"There looks like a lot of people."

I stopped sorting mail. I had started a second job at a postal place recently. While it was much to get used to, I felt my boss thought I was capable. However, today our attention turned to outside where there was a very large march going on. What was it for? It was to protest that they would not give up until gay marriage happened.

And I? I thought it should have happened much, much earlier. However, I hoped it would happen. People who loved each other should be together. And they deserved to be able to express it openly just like straights do.

So...battle on, gays!!!

Diego


 

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