My Epiphany

The family visit was nice. I had to work Friday so I missed out on the fun touristy day of visiting all of the downtown cool little stops, but hey, you can't win them all. I know it's cheesy, but I really do enjoy taking newcomers around my city. It's fun to see it through someone else's eyes. It's fun to show them what I think makes Nashville great and to see what they ask to visit to compare and contrast. I just like to analyze everything like that I suppose.

The Mermaids are back where they belong, but I believe that the "Censored" labels will stay with them as a statement, at least for now.

I was trying to think about what to write about when it occurred to me that I had a major realization, an epiphany, if you will, the week before Macey's family got here, that I've yet to discuss here.
See, what had happened was...

A friend of mine came over to visit, I haven't seen him in, wow, like over a year, maybe close to two. We used to party together, go to bars sometimes; you know the kind of friend. Well, we were talking about the last time we'd been out to a bar; it was to a drag show several years ago, before I even knew Macey. He commented about how much fun that had been, it being the first drag show he'd ever been to and all. (Why is it that I am always the first person to take all these "straight" men in my life to drag shows, yet they all always want to go back for more? More on that question later.)
This particular friend was just enamored with the whole scene. He loved the lights, the stage, the performers, the SHOW. So at some point in the conversation he says to Macey and I, “You guys need to take me to another drag show!"
I paused, and thought, a quick check-list ran through my mind, Connections, the place this guy was so taken with, has long since closed it's doors, The Chute has closed as has The Cabaret...my bars one by one, and I ran through a list of about 7, are all gone now. History now, in the annuals of Gay Nashville. Lost to the new era of Lipstick Lounge and Tribe and whatever else is out there, but I don't personally know of a single place with a drag show and a stage anymore.

Then it struck me, like lightening across the dark night sky, simultaneously illuminating as well as shocking...

I'm an Old Dyke!

Gone are my days of bar hopping from one little dive to another for quarter beers here and a drag show there and lesbian jello wrestling way over there and back over here for the quarter beers again. Gone are my days of showing the straight friends the cool drag shows and giving them a glimpse into the silly and fun world of homo-partying.

I got a little bit sad about that for a minute, and then I realized that I am perfectly happy to be an old dyke: I traded off the hangovers, the near DUI's, the "did I do that?"'s for a wonderful life in which I am much more rested, happy, and loved.
I wouldn't trade my station for those old days for anything in the world!