...turned out more serious that I had intended.



(Firstly...thank you Angel Lou)

I'm really into the White Stripes new release right now and particularly the cut "I'm Slowly Turning Into You". I mean shit...it's a dynamic and powerful piece of music...Jack and his sister never cease to amaze me. That's what I thought I was going to post this week. I'll save it for next week.

(Firstly?...is that really a word?)

Then I was going to post "Interstate Love Song" by The Stone Temple Pilots. I heard that on the way to work today for the first time in years and started thinking about how many times I hit "repeat" "repeat" repeat" to re-hear and groove to that tune when I first heard that CD.

(I don't think "firstly" is even a real English word...it doesn't even look right. )

I'm in a "mood" tonight though. I think I'll let the mood triumph over my good sense and flow with it.



Maybe "Creep" dredges up stuff for me and challenges me. Maybe it should. Maybe it serves as a catalyst. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe I'm hearing this song for more than it actually is.

I mean...I've always loved this song, but maybe the lyrics speak to me a little more this week. I signed up for a PFLAG project this week. One of their outreach programs is directed toward gay and lesbian runaways and gay and lesbian teens that have been kicked out of their homes.

It's still happening. In fucking 2007, it's still happening. Beautiful, spiritual, and smart gay and lesbian teenagers are still being shit on and made to feel inadequate.

It's systematic and contrived. It's political and it's "religious" and it's ignorant. It's fucking bullshit.

Eighty eight percent of these kids will go on to be your doctors, lawyers, and accountants. If they are lucky, they will design your clothes, your homes, and your day to day products. They will write thought provoking prose and poetry and will inspire you. They will care for you and your children and your parents in hospitals. They will perplex and entertain you. They will make you think and smile.

They will do all that...unless they are among the statistically 22% of gay and lesbian kids that commit suicide before they reach the age of eighteen.

Those statistics aint cool to me. There is a cliche that has been running through my head for years now...."there but for the grace of God"

I want this to stop.

I signed up for an outreach project sponsored by PFLAG this week. Their goal is to empower gay and lesbian runaways and discarded gay and lesbian young people and get them back on track. The Atlanta chapter has been offering tutoring and classes in social empowerment skills for these kids to transition back into the public school system.

I can't think of a better use for my spare time than to offer what I can to PFLAG for this project.

_____________________________________________________________________

Here's the deal.

If you have an issue with who I am as a gay adult...please state it and we can go outside...me and you...as adults. I'm totally cool with that. I'm a living gay adult. Trust me...I see myself as a survivor and a rock star now. I'm smart and spiritual and strong and I can take you to school.

What I am not cool with is the shit that gay and lesbian children and teens still have to subject themselves to because of ignorant and diabolical mores.

____________________________________________________________________

I just want to do my little part for PFLAG in their effort to keep hatred and ignorance and intolerance from harming our innocent and beautiful gay and lesbian children anymore.

Ok...so I'm freaking out a little tonight. We just garnered a mention on a national style/shopping website. The editor shopped all over Atlanta for 3 days two weeks ago and decided to feature Heliotrope.

 http://www.herfablife.com/marycdelaney/business-merchant-retailer/heliotrope

Her Fab Life is the uberest, newest, hippest, and most popular online compendium for shopping and style trends. It's usually all about new and noteworthy ready to wear boutiques and restaurants in the US. They rarely if ever highlight home accessory stores. I can't believe I am seeing us featured tonight.

Marc remembers her coming in and asking a lot of questions last month.

I'm still blown away every time we get media. I mean...we are just starting out and trying to find our way. No matter how we progress, I don't think I will ever get over the excitement of seeing stuff like this.

Wow.

 

 

T

Tonight seems like a Friday.

1) I know I said goodbye to Blogstream a few weeks ago, but then forgot to leave. It's like you said goodnight at the door to a houseguest after a great party and then found them still standing on the front porch the next morning. Or...saying farewell to a friend at the airport and then walking back to your car and finding them sitting in the passenger seat with a goofey surreal smile on their face.



2) Sometimes, I can't believe how blessed I am to have wound up living and doing business in Atlanta. I'm a huge cheerleader for my adopted hometown.

3) Sometimes, I can't believe how blessed I am to have Marc and Gracie and Rex as a family and Chanda and Rob as friends.



4) Sometimes, I can't believe how corney and sentimental I am capable of getting.



5) I forgot to put on deoderant this morning and after a few hours of lugging boxes around in the stockroom, I could smell myself. I think I smell like chicken noodle soup after I sweat for a few hours.

And uh...Happy 4th everybody.



T

Some kinda code from the flip site was messing up my stuff.

I woke up in the middle of the night and had a thought...

What if you just wanted to buy one grape? That's all...just a grape.

You pick one out of a bag and put it in its own bag and take it up to the counter.

What would they do? Would they tell you that you can just have the grape for free or would they weigh it and charge you a penny?

If they weighed it and asked you for a penny, could you ask them to weigh it again, but this time without the bag or the twist tie?

I'm going back to bed now.