Well, it's Tuesday of my second week in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I'm enjoying my new job, and love that I'm getting to see some kickin' cities. After Atlanta, Denver, Chicago, and Toronto, I have to say my current digs are the hoppin-est. Here's a couple of reasons why:
1) Church Street. I'm not sure how to explain it properly without showing pictures, but I can't find a good one online, so I'll try. It's approximately a 2 mile strip of road in Downtown Toronto where every business facing the street is flying a rainbow flag. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm normally a little turned off by heavy rainbow presence, but there's something almost emotional about seeing so much support for the city's LGBT community. In addition, this street served as "Liberty Avenue" for Queer As Folk, to which I have paid significant homage in the past. Love it.
2) Awesome food. Awesome, awesome food.
3) Beautiful architecture. Lots of historical buildings and fabulous high-rises all over the city. Unlike alot of cities I've been too, the skyscrapers don't seem to be limited to one specific downtown area. They're all over the damned place.
4) Wicked public transport system. I can get essentially ANYWHERE for $2.50 on the subway, and everywhere else on a trolley. So convenient, I wouldn't require a car to live here. I can't imagine who would.
5) And as mentioned in my previous blog, God Save the Queens, Canadians really do seem to be more liberal. Even with the disappointing results of their recent elections, Canada is still a nation that lets the gays get married, values education and social programs, and lets its citizens grow, possess and schmoke up to 5oz of weed (that's for you tink...)...
That's why I'm digging Toronto. We'll see if my new favorite city changes after I spend next week in Boston....
Also, while I'm loving seeing new places, I miss my hubby and my doggie. I'm ready to go home....... :-)
Alrighty, Char, your turn. As James mentioned, writing these interviews for people you're close to poses an interesting challenge. I have tried to ask questions that the average reader might ask. That is, the average reader who knows Charlotte only from her blog. Also, as is the point with this thing, the questions tend to be personal, and often require an abnormal level of honesty. Alright, without further adeu:
1) You're experienced in the marriage department, but the man you're currently living with is not your husband. Do you intend on getting married to Larry at some point in the future? Either way, what benefits do you think you'll gain as a result of your decision?
2) You've said before that if your relationship with Larry doesn't work out, you're done with men forever. Does this mean you'd spend the rest of your life alone, or would you consider turning to the other side of the force? If so, what would you consider the benefits of being with a woman as opposed to a man?
3) Having grown up a repressed southern baptist girl in an east Tennessee hick town, you've got quite a religious background. What are your current key beliefs about God, morals, and spirituality, and are you content with your spiritual status?
4) The company you work for is about to ship your job off to Texas and India. How does this make you feel? What do you intend on doing to support yourself after the closure?
5) Explain who the young woman in the picture below is. Whom did she love? What was she scared of? Where did she think she'd be in 2006? Would she be happy with where she's been and who she's become?
And now the rules:The Official Interview Games Rules: 1) If you want to participate, leave me a comment below saying, "interview me". 2) I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different. 3) You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions. 4) You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post. 5) When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
Throughout the holiday season my blog postings were few and far between. I've started back up again, but needed a little inspiration to really get riled up.
Enter Skipper and the new interview craze. Except unlike the normal canned questionnaires that we've all seen a million times, this new interview is full of questions that are person-specific. So Jamesy was kind enough to pop out a few good questions, which is quite the task since he already knows me so well. That said, my interview (...and pay close attention to the rules at the bottom...): 1) There has never been a point in your relationship with LeBobo that you haven't lived together. But now the two of you have a home and a dog together. How was it for you to make that leap into responsibility, and how has this affected your relationship?
The previous statement is both true and untrue. Our relationship began when I moved into his house, originally because I was in a bizarre financial situation that left me with two options: move in with him or move back to Washington w/ the parents. While our romantic relationship began in that setting, there was a period of time in 2003 at the pinnacle of conflict between our church lives and our sexual orientation where I moved out of his house. This was the most hurtful and difficult time in both of our lives. It was part of the few years that preceded our dramatic 2005 turnaround, which were full of emotional variance. It's my belief that sharing this difficult journey out of the closet has made it very easy for us to rely on one another, and to trust one another.
2) In the past year, you've quit the band and removed yourself from essentially all aspects of the former "Christian" life you had. You obviously have/had a deep connection to God, but to the casual observer, you've separated yourself from church and all of the trimmings. Do you still feel as close to God as you once did, and what do you do on a daily basis to maintain that connection?
I've actually severed myself from that world very deliberately and delicately. I had to because my church world was very black and white: either you fit the description or you don't. My church was also quite militant in their pursuit of "holiness". If a member was thought to be in sin, they were confronted, and if they refused to repent or change, they were publicly removed from fellowship. As I believe there is nothing inherently sinful about my lifestyle, I refused to be punished by their standards, so I left before they could get confirmation.
Today, I'm in a place where I'm trying to figure out who I believe God to be, and how I believe that affects my life. It's both an exciting and terrifying time of growth for me, and I'm interested to see where I end up.
3) Realizing that this will change nine times in the next hour and a half, what's your brain-child of the moment?
Hehe. I'm building a bit of a reputation... At this exact moment, I want to publish a book. I know I'm way too manic to actually write one of my own, so I'm looking for the right project to move ahead with. Could be fiction or non-fiction, could be art, could be a comic, could be cooking...heck, I have no idea. But that's what I'm looking for right now. Ask me again tomorrow. :-)
4) I know this might be complicated to explain, but how do YOU write music? How do your ideas get from brain to completed piece?
Most of my music starts as a melody in my head. More often than not, they come to me while I'm on the road, so I call myself on the cell and leave myself a message to remember it. I swear, I've written #1 hits dozens of time, only to forget them before I can get them down. Anywho, then I usually come home, sit in front of the computer, and make some kind of rhythm track. Then, depending on the genre of the sound in my head, I either pick up an acoustic or electric guitar and lay down some body. Its at this point that I start writing lyrics to my melody. This is where things get random. Usually, since I've got some music to work with at this point, I play sections of the music over and over while I sing random lines to it. Eventually, I get the lyrics I want and start cleaning things up.
Writing music, like anything creative, doesn't always follow the same pattern, but that's kind of how it's been going for me lately.
5) You've stepped up as quite the gay rights activist, especially since you just came out within the last year. What motivates you to get fired up about it? For you, is this part of your coming out process? How do you see your level of activism in five years? And which issue facing gay men really gets you riled up?
Regarding motivation and activism as they relate to my coming out process, I think its been a natural progression for me. As I get honest with myself and those around me, its feels natural for me to get involved with things that affect other people like me. If that means activism, well, there you have it.
I think my level of activism will increase over the next five years. I think our current political environment demands that we make our voices heard. We are fortunate enough to be alive in a time where the nation is growing more and more acclimated to individuals of varying backgrounds, personalities, and lifestyles. I believe that if all stand at the sidelines and simply hope things change for the better, we give up two very important things: 1) our right to be equally heard, and 2) our right to enjoy the reward of change that comes from activism. I do actually have one other brainchild right now, and its regarding political activism. I think that while millionaires and big organizations can be effective on the national level, grassroots activists can fight the local battle, to deter bad candidates before they move on in their political careers. I'd love to start an organization that knocks out prejudiced school board members and councilmen before they have a chance to make any kind of national names for themselves.
The issue that really gets me riled up right now has got to be equal marriage rights. This isn't just because its the hot topic right now, or because I want some fabulous ceremony. Its because marriage would bring a slew of other rights that are currently being denied to the community, from parenting rights to end-of-life decisions. I think it's a critical battle that has to be won.
And now the rules:The Official Interview Games Rules: 1) If you want to participate, leave me a comment below saying, "interview me". 2) I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different. 3) You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions. 4) You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post. 5) When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions
So the last month or two have been insanely busy for us all, and I've not had the mental capacity to attempt creativity or even much clarity in my writing. Instead, I've simly refrained from posting any of the rubbish that has been floating around in my mind.
Anywho...I've started my new job, and as much as I'm going to love it, its starting off rather slowly. But I've got two weeks of training coming up in Dallas and Boston, after which I expect I will ache for the lull that I'm experiencing right now...So I'll try to enjoy the quiet before the storm.
Recent Reading: The Da Vinci Code
I read the Da Vinci Code on Sunday. I loved it. I devoured it. And at first I was concerned by how much it has affected my thoughts. It has caused my mind to whirl at concepts about which I've never given much thought. It has driven me to start reading up on neopaganism, nature worship, and the divine feminine. The concern is rooted in my fear to allow a piece of fiction change the way I view reality.
But then, if the purpose of reading and learning is not to broaden the way one thinks, then what is it? Regardless of this book being a novel, shouldn't I be glad that it has helped me to think about the very nature of life? Certainly I shouldn't call this book my new bible...but isn't it the journey of learning and understanding others' beliefs that makes life worth living?
So I dug the book. If you haven't read it, you should. And James, I know you won't, but I'll take you to the movie anyway.
