As I sit back and reflect on 2009 I can honestly say I’m glad it’s over. I’m glad for a few reasons but let’s back track a bit first.
New Years Eve is always a time of reflection of the year gone by. However, this New Years Eve marks the end of the first decade of the 21st Century. 10 years is a lifetime is gay years! That’s like at least 5 jobs, 10 broken down relationships and 2 pets, 3 if you count the one lost in the break up battle. The only exception are the Lesbians, they tend to lose a U-Haul and a flannel shirt in the process! (I’m kidding of course....)
So I looked back on my personal life and the world as a whole and what has changed in the past 10 years? On the surface not allot really. I was looking at some New Years Eve pictures from 1999 and I look about the same. I just have a few more wrinkles and my goat-tee is peppered with grey. I did find a grey chest hair not long ago and did have a dream last night about someone shaving my chest but again, a blog for another time.
So while things look like they haven’t changed physically, everything around me has. In the past 10 years I moved to Ottawa, started a new job. I then met Randy and my entire life changed. I got married, became a step dad, and bought a car, a house and a dog. I met some amazing people and out of nowhere in the last part of the decade became a crazy spokesperson for the bear community. The constant thing that I noticed from New Years Eve 1999 is that the people I’m sitting with in that picture are still my friends today. I am blessed for that.
My party days are somewhat over although some of you who know me very well would beg to differ. I’m still fun at a party and I can drink most of you under the table. I just can’t get up from underneath the table after...
But some good changes happened in the world in the past 10 years. From a gay rights perspective in Canada, Bills C-23 homosexual equality rights bill passed in 2000, Bill-250, adding sexual orientation to the hate crime section of the criminal code in 2004 (a side note here, the Harper government intends to introduce legislation to remove it make it acceptable once again for hate propaganda towards gays to flourish) to Bill C-38 allowing us all to legally marry in 2005. Globally, AIDS/HIV has had reduced death rate of more than 17% in the past 10 years, regretfully, the rate of infection increases.
Allot has changed around us. Gone are the days about Y2K , Napster and CD’s we now refer to all sorts of new things like TWITTER, WooT, IPOD, IPHONE, PODCAST, 911, LOST, FACEBOOK and the list goes on. We communicate much differently than we did 10 years ago and I don’t think I’ve read a hard copied news paper in 4 or 5 years.
911 changed the world forever. Not just for Americans. Bush fucked it up for everyone by declaring a holy war on terror that instilled a continuous fear into the world that I honestly do not think it exists on such a mass scale. We have a leader in Canada who is more interested in control and power than he is in the people who he was elected to govern. I want to think and hope that Harper will not push the gay rights movement in Canada back 10 years. But when you are a fascist dictator (or try to rule like one) you become very unpredictable. I have faith that we are better than that. That Canadians will decide that they can rise to the occasion and purge the Country from both government and opposition. At any rate, it will be a rough few years.
So the end of 2009 is here! Let’s see the economy tanked, allot of people I worked with lost their jobs and my income and investments took a pummelling. Good riddance 2009!
Enough about that! Jesus I sound like a crazy activist!
They are all events and moments in time forever etched into our minds and memory banks. Streams of data stored away for future reference. Welcome to the forever changing world of technology. Hmmm, technology...We can store data faster than a blink of an eye yet we cannot make air travel faster, safer and cheaper. Flying in airplanes seems so archaic.
I hope that 2010 ushers in more change. Globally, I hope the way we do business changes. Nationally, I think I’ve best explained my thoughts in the paragraphs above. From our community, I hope that we grow as a bear community and respect our differences and those around us. From a LGBT perspective I want to see transgender rights acknowledged in the next year. I will not make any resolutions other than to be kind to people and laugh at myself when I make mistakes. If you see me laughing you’ll know why.
I do wish you all health, happiness, good fortune and love in 2010. I know it’s mushy and sentimental but it’s honest.
Happy New Year
Big old bear hugs
Mr. Ottawa Bear
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Tis’ the Season
December rolls around and all the mayhem and craziness about the holidays seem to impact us all. I was in line waiting to pay for lunch the other day when I overheard a customer say to another, “You cannot not have a tree! It won’t be Christmas”. What the hell did that mean? I guess for this lady Christmas only came if you had a tree.... I so wanted to turn to her and say” Honey I know plenty of things that come without a tree and yes there is allot of Oh Jesus, Oh My God involved”. That’s the extent of my religious beliefs!
Speaking of and without getting all religious on everyone, December is indeed dominated by several denominational holidays. From Bodhi Day to Hanukkah, Santa Lucia Day to Al Hijra to Christmas we seem to identify with all of them. But I set all that aside and think of what it really means and it’s about giving. OK dirty people I’m not talking about blow jobs in a back alley on a Saturday night next to CP’s. Although I think I’ve done that a few times...but I was drunk and he said he liked me! What was I saying? Giving. Well ok giving and receiving during the holidays works as well... Again, I know exactly where you're all going with this so let’s just get it out of the way now shall we.
Some of us like to give. Some of us like to receive. Some of us figure if we give a little we will get allot and then there are others that just want it. Sort of like I’ll kiss you and you can blow me. Or I’ll have sex with you if you pay for brunch!
Enough of that! So I reflected upon the year just passed and thought about my friends and co workers and the community. I hope I was able to give enough this year? I worked hard, I played just as hard and I tried to make the community we all take part in a better place. Could I have done more? I’m sure I could have. With more resources, more money, more people but I’m happy with what I did. And what did I receive in return? A thank you! Thank you from allot of you, from friends and family and co workers. That has meant more to me than any gift or card.
Too many people give in order to receive more or get noticed or whatever it is, they want something in return. I just give because I have a passion for things I do.
So however you may celebrate this December do it with the intention of giving something to someone. Whether you give your spot in line for the person who only has “one item to pay” or let the person drive out who’s been waiting forever to get by or even send a card or an email to someone you haven’t spoken to in a long time. Do it not to get something out of it just do it because you want to.
My favourite day in December is the 21st. Many of you may find this odd. It is of course Winter Solstice. For me personally it marks the beginning of the lengthening of days into summer. Ironically it is the shortest day of the year (sun wise) but I always feel like it’s a new beginning. That in this mad crazy world we live in there is always a new day.
A new day to discover and learn something new... and that for me is the best gift of all!
Big old Bear Hugs
Mr. Ottawa Bear 2009
Speaking of and without getting all religious on everyone, December is indeed dominated by several denominational holidays. From Bodhi Day to Hanukkah, Santa Lucia Day to Al Hijra to Christmas we seem to identify with all of them. But I set all that aside and think of what it really means and it’s about giving. OK dirty people I’m not talking about blow jobs in a back alley on a Saturday night next to CP’s. Although I think I’ve done that a few times...but I was drunk and he said he liked me! What was I saying? Giving. Well ok giving and receiving during the holidays works as well... Again, I know exactly where you're all going with this so let’s just get it out of the way now shall we.
Some of us like to give. Some of us like to receive. Some of us figure if we give a little we will get allot and then there are others that just want it. Sort of like I’ll kiss you and you can blow me. Or I’ll have sex with you if you pay for brunch!
Enough of that! So I reflected upon the year just passed and thought about my friends and co workers and the community. I hope I was able to give enough this year? I worked hard, I played just as hard and I tried to make the community we all take part in a better place. Could I have done more? I’m sure I could have. With more resources, more money, more people but I’m happy with what I did. And what did I receive in return? A thank you! Thank you from allot of you, from friends and family and co workers. That has meant more to me than any gift or card.
Too many people give in order to receive more or get noticed or whatever it is, they want something in return. I just give because I have a passion for things I do.
So however you may celebrate this December do it with the intention of giving something to someone. Whether you give your spot in line for the person who only has “one item to pay” or let the person drive out who’s been waiting forever to get by or even send a card or an email to someone you haven’t spoken to in a long time. Do it not to get something out of it just do it because you want to.
My favourite day in December is the 21st. Many of you may find this odd. It is of course Winter Solstice. For me personally it marks the beginning of the lengthening of days into summer. Ironically it is the shortest day of the year (sun wise) but I always feel like it’s a new beginning. That in this mad crazy world we live in there is always a new day.
A new day to discover and learn something new... and that for me is the best gift of all!
Big old Bear Hugs
Mr. Ottawa Bear 2009
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