Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: Life on January 19, 2007, 03:51:29 pm
Title: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: Life on January 19, 2007, 03:51:29 pm
I took a break from the Hotel work and walked up and outside of the hotel to the Gondola where the Gay Ski Week crowd is having the big down hill drag show. The contestants ski down in what ever comes to mind. And sometimes, not much at all. I am sure a few of those will make the front page of our paper tomorrow.. Borak and Wonder Woman made me quiver.. Just a very beautiful bunch of gay men drinking BUD LIGHT watching this play out. It was good to see Flo and the Church Lady again! I still feel strange being around that many gay guys even after a year after my diagnosis. I look around and wonder who is and who is not. If they are, they look fantastic and are really enjoying themselves (at least on the outside). Aspen does not get to see this side of the world very often. Of all my years participating, I just have not got back into this yet... As a young gay man, gay ski week was my week!! I did it all and had a blast. It is so refreshing to walk down the streets of Aspen and see couple after couple, holding hands, kissing... Two more days, back to the straight life again... sigh...
I hope with time, that this all changes for me... I wana be just as happy as these GUYS!
What a beautiful day in Aspen!!
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: Eldon on January 19, 2007, 04:16:38 pm
The Sun IS Shining!
"What Can I do today to make a better Tomorrow?"
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: ACinKC on January 19, 2007, 04:20:19 pm
Whew... I read that and thought you had passed on into the Gay Afterlife for a minute!
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: marco23 on January 19, 2007, 04:46:12 pm
Heaven...just Heavenly!
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: bravebuddharich on January 19, 2007, 05:00:16 pm
And not one of them liked me! (;
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: Blixer on January 19, 2007, 05:30:01 pm
Eric, It definately sounds like a beautiful day in Aspen. I laughed outloud reading ACinKC's comment. So is it "heaven on earth" in Aspen this weekend???
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: poet on January 19, 2007, 05:40:46 pm
Glad you took some time off, Eric (and I hope we all note this down so the next time he claims that he works __ hours/week, we can remind him that he once took a break :). It always look great from the outside, whether it's where you are or the NYC pride festival or Fire Island Pines. But remind yourself how much you have grown internally dealing with hiv. How long would you actually want, now, to be where more is surface than depth? Win
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: Jeffreyj on January 19, 2007, 05:56:37 pm
Good times Eric! Relax and enjoy the next next few days....These days are golden...
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: Life on January 20, 2007, 10:27:36 am
I got cruised! Boy I forgot what that felt like! Of course the gold band on my left hand sorta shuts most things down.. But all the same... I feel good. Maybe we should have an AM Ski Week in Aspen? David, Jeff, Marco & Eldon - When you are not exposed to that much gay activity, its quite overwhelming.. All these guys and all these lives coming together for 1 week. Next year, I will take the week off like I normally do and me and Will will get a bit more time for this.... Will has a bit of a cold so I did not want him out getting sick. We stayed home last night and watched a mooovie.
Poet, you always seem to connect with me some way that shakes me loose. I hope its not like "the loss of innocence" or just getting older and more responsible. But there is something better/different about us in how we look at things and approach life. If there is anything good about having hiv, I better find it, trust in it, understand it a bit more. Am I different than a year and three months ago? Oh yeah, but just how eludes me...
Eldon, "The Sun is Shining!"
Love
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: Blixer on January 20, 2007, 01:00:19 pm
Eric,
I am not surprised that you got cruised... even with that gold band on your hand! I bet you got cruised a lot more than you even realized. :-)
I definately know what you mean about not being exposed to that much gay activity and it being overwhelming... just remember where I work. The little bit of gay activity I run into in St. Louis sometimes overwhelms me!!!
It sounds like you and Will had a great evening at home!!! I hope he gets over his cold soon!!!
I think we are all probably different than we were before diagnosis and meds.... and it probably is difficult to define just exactly what that difference it.
Take care sweetie and give Will an extra hug!!!
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: Life on January 20, 2007, 02:07:52 pm
David, I would much rather be in a room full of hiv + folks like I am right now talking about where we are headed and how we are going to get there. Then go out and test our asumptions on the world and report back. I know this is a safe place for us right now and we come back and get recharged. I don't know what is in store, but I feel good getting there being by here..
Love you David, Always have, always will.
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: poet on January 20, 2007, 04:43:26 pm
If you guys haven't done so already, Eric, Will and David, try the full plunge into NYC gay pride march. Perhaps even a video of one year of it would work since I can't think of a film (Longtime Companion, Parting Glances, etc.) which gets that aspect of what being with thousands of gay men, all of whom look the same (to the quickly moving eye) is like, sort of an ocean of men since the crowds are such that you have swept into the tide of them. A circuit event. Which is all you can get until, somehow getting distance from them, you, Eric, Will, David, begin to separate them, begin to hear each one's story, each one's story of pursuit and pursuing, last night, today, tonight, plans and dreams. That's when I, too, would run back to the table here. Win
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: lydgate on January 20, 2007, 05:04:05 pm
Eric, you were SURPRISED you were cruised?! Sweets, if you didn't have that gold band on your finger, there would be hordes of men from this forum banging on your door in Aspen. Just sayin. :-* Jay
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: Life on January 20, 2007, 05:10:04 pm
;D Jay, your to much....
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: poet on January 21, 2007, 05:43:26 am
Well from my NYC experience, Eric would be less safe WITH the gold band because then it becomes the challenge of bagging the partnered boy as opposed to the boy whom no one, at this point, has yet dragged from the dance floor. Sort of like fighting over who gets to buy an apartment. :) Win
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: Longislander on January 22, 2007, 12:00:02 am
I'm JEALOUS!!! ;) ;) ;)
Hope you enjoyed all you could get out of last week baby. Hope Will's feeling better, too! ;D
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: fearless on January 22, 2007, 12:33:05 am
Ah, The Other Side of Aspen ;D
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: LatinAlexander on January 24, 2007, 10:12:15 am
Well, I have never ever been with friends in a gay pride thing.. I was in Spain (that was my first), but I was alone.... I suppose it must be superb!!!
When is the NYC thing?
Alex
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: poet on January 24, 2007, 10:19:16 am
Gay Pride NYC is always the last weekend in June. Win
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: LatinAlexander on January 24, 2007, 10:33:38 am
Sounds cool!!!!... Thanks Poet
Alex
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: Longislander on January 24, 2007, 10:35:11 am
I've lived on LI just about all my life and I've never been to gay pride in NYC. Maybe this year?
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: bear60 on January 24, 2007, 12:59:45 pm
NYC gay pride parade is a must see!! I went for several years in a row in the early 90's. Havent been since but I will never forget the experience!! They say its the last weekend in June because it coincides with the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in 1969. (I think...anyone correct me)
Eric: I thought you were going to say "I'm standing in the midst of 1000 gay men and I want to get naked." lol
Title: Re: "I am standing in the midst of 1000 Gay Men!"
Post by: wellington on January 24, 2007, 08:24:03 pm
Eric. I am cruising you right now. Sorry. Can't see the golden band ;) In any case, such icons only serve to remind that the cruising just needs to be elevated a little more in order for it to have the intended effect. Yeah. I know. I'm a shameless flirt. AND, I have great taste.