Skip to main content

A Funny Thing...Part 3

Continuing our adventure finding Bloody Mary mix at the Farmer's Market. The market was pretty well non-existant what with the Pride Parade going on. Again, we came upon it late so no telling what or who we missed. The Grand Marshal was the Olympic skater Johnny Weir, but didn't see him.


Oh yeah, there was music, too. 


Don't look too close.   I'm talking to my friend in Creve Couer who might need the smelling salts for this picture.  Come to think of it, if she raised Tim, then she can handle about anything.



OK I'm not sure what this is.  It's obviously a guy dressed in a strapless black evening dress, with a ribbon that says "Country Girl".  I grew up in small town Midwest, the country so to speak.  And I never saw anything like this. 


And feast your eyes on this gentleman who seemed quite proud of his pink boa-draped cape.  He sauntered down the sidewalk more than happy to pose for those with cameras. 


Is this homemade?  Well, of course.  You won't find this at Target or Victoria's Secret.



There was less boa in front than back. 


When it came to gay pride, this guy had it.


Willing and quite happy to lend his attire to locals looking for a unique picture. 

                   The following pictures of the same parade were posted on the web and are not mine:







I didn't feel threatened nor particularly appalled. I was actually very pleased at the fun these people were having and the freedom they felt they enjoyed, if only for this one day. I commented that for the rest of the year they have to be concerned with bosses, the general public, maybe family, neighbors and society.  But for this one day they have total freedom to be who they are, to flaunt it and revel in their particular lifestyle.


I hope that I continue to be open to other people, and that I have empathy for those different that me. I do not want to have hate or disgust or a myopic worldview to those around me. Today's parade and festival was a large group of people having fun, hurting no one, forcing no agenda (other than the right to love another person), and putting on a rather good show.

But, darn, sure wish I could have found that Bloody Mary mix.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Flashback Friday

Class, Or Lack Thereof The Dwight Vice gravestone in Oquawka, Illinois. I bring this old chestnut out every so often just to remind me that class is classless.  Dwight Vice was killed in his home near Oquawka in 2001.  It was one of those things that can generate crime:  two guys thought Dwight had a lot of money stashed at home because of his pot-selling sideline to supplement his fishing job.   Not really one of those big drug deals gone-bad things.  Marijuana was, according to the trial, about the only stuff Dwight sold.   But these two guys barge into the house and killed Dwight and attempted to kill his 11 year old kid, Darryl, before they took off with what money they could find.   His son, now 23, was stabbed in the back and left for dead.  He survived and is wheelchair bound and has undergone several surgeries to repair his wounds.  He will be paralyzed for life.   None of this is pleasant.  Reading the f...

The Mary Davis Home - Part 2

None of these pictures were taken by me,  they came right from the MDH website.  I am posting these so that friends who have never seen inside where I worked can gain access.  After 27 years I have many stories, tales and acquaintances.  But, I wouldn't know how to express them appropriately in a few paragraphs.  I enjoyed 98% of my stay there and hope I made a difference in the lives of a fraction of the kids who entered.  The original MDH at this site was just the front part.  The large red-roofed area in back was added on in the 90's. This is the Jerry Carlton library.  It was unofficially named after one of the counselors who truly loved the place.   He passed away around 2002, I think.  Mr. Farber looks like he is explaining a few things to a client. The classroom. Activity area with the gym behind the windows. Another shot of the classroom. It was a little different area to teach since we had 2 classes and 2 teachers i...

Flashback Friday - Cold Case - Part One

53 years ago today, Gordon "Peel" Duncan walked into the dark post office in Seaton Illinois and was brutally assaulted by an individual or individuals.  He died two days later.  The murder was never solved.     Gordon Duncan was one of the publishers of the Seaton Independent, a weekly newspaper in town that started in the late 1800's and stopped publishing in the 60's.     We  boys were just young children when this took place, but we have been fascinated by it ever since.  The imagination of kids, I suppose or maybe the fact that it was unsolved.  Regardless, this was a big deal in our little lives.  For our parents it tended to shatter the idea that Seaton, our town, was safe.  That it could fend off the forces of evil in the world, that in our little universe we would be impervious to harm was gone forever.  For us kids I don't suppose we were old enough to know real fear.  Fear for us was not getting our list ...