I planned a Pride article, but got the dates mixed (Sound familiar?). After recent comments about possible trouble, I thought I’d chime in even though all will have happened.
Years ago I came for my first San Diego Pride and found University Avenue festooned with LGBT flags put up by the city. This public acceptance of LGBT life was astonishing. Reality returned days later when the parade started with a tear-gas canister thrown into the crowd. Then the smoke cleared, groups re-formed and the parade continued. Talk about pride! Since then, the size and friendliness of the crowd have grown and the marchers now include the military, police, firefighters, church groups, etc.
I wonder if the younger crowd can comprehend how incredible this is. We seniors can and “celebration” is the word for this event. At the same time we don’t forget the past (we were there) and support this year’s theme which reminds us to keep demanding justice and action on our rights and dreams.
With a community of our size and diversity, there are naturally differing opinions how to do this and how far to go to get our points across especially once we have the attention of a crowd. No doubt there is a place for serious banners, posters and activities in the parade and festivities.
My limit is reached however, if/when disruption and negativity become the focus and overwhelm and depreciate our special day. I hope this did not happen and our once-a-year bash while including serious concerns allowed our community, especially seniors, to positively acknowledge and rejoice with solidarity and pride in how far we have come since our days of fear and hiding.
Finding topics to write and talk about
Digging around for subjects of interest, I always delve into anything possible. This doesn’t bother me as I enjoy the research and at times it becomes addictive. Bored? Look in an encyclopedia type book, skim the headings until something catches your eye and start reading. You’ll soon find another intriguing point to investigate; suddenly it is an hour later.
We are never too old to learn and it is vital to not sit around and vegetate. I am constantly on the look-out for light-hearted content to comment on or offer advice about. I shun the political preferring to address senior issues and current events, but admittedly I also check emails from friends featuring a tweet or face of some hilarious and/or horrifying tidbit.
I also confess to glancing, very briefly, at the supermarket tabloid headlines. Titillating as they might be, they are seldom worth inflicting on my readers. “Did Rihanna steal Naomi Campbell’s man?” does not set my heart aflame with editorial potential. I’m not really sure who they are or what they do, but wish them well. Likewise, “Kylie Jenner, age 19, CEO and founder of Kylie Cosmetics, will be on TV weekly in “Life of Kylie” a docuseries” (a what?). Kylie seems to be famous for something, being a star I guess; sort of like Zsa Zsa.
YouTube and Google offer great fun as we get facts and view stars, movies and interviews from the past. Subjects for the AARP crowd and surprising facts are waiting to be discovered: just this morning I found out where Montana is and how to spell Deuteronomy. If I can write an article, you can get out of the house, meet people and surprise them with your knowledge of an unusual topic.
