Tuesday’s Top Ten: People I Owe Gratitude
To recap Saturday, I’ve been an asshole. I misinterpreted a conversation only AFTER I shared it with someone else. (Were we talking about the book? Or just politics in general? How many licks to the center of a tootsie pop?) I went off when there are larger problems that have a higher pay-grade than both of us, perhaps even when you put our salaries together. AND I poked the bear. Kinda. Maybe. Haven’t heard back on that one yet. Do they have internet in Sturgis?
Thanksgiving is three months away, but it’s never too early to publicly show gratitude to the awesome people in your life. I need to stay on top of this gratitude thing. I don’t know how I have any friends, with my shitty attitude and the biggest personal space bubble on Earth.
Some of the people I’m going to thank are public figures. If you have a problem with that, or you think I’m vying for their attention, fuck you. I can thank whomever I want.
10. Amy Lane. When I first started tonight’s top ten list, it was going to be my top ten Amy Lane books. (My blog hasn’t been Gay Romance for the Masses lately.) Then I realized I couldn’t pick ten. There’s just no way. They are all fantastic. So thank you, Amy Lane. Thank you for writing books that force me to write better. “Is Breaking All the Rules as funny as Shiny? No? GET BACK TO WORK.” For that, I love you.
9. Larry Kramer. Thank you for writing Faggots in a time when people weren’t ready to read it. Thank you for co-founding the Gay Men’s Health Crisis. Thank you for writing The Normal Heart when that fell apart. Thank you most of all for holding love as the highest ideal, and for living the kind of life that makes a good documentary. You know it’s good when I watched it two weeks ago and it’s still on my mind.
8. Ro. For planting the seeds of travel, adventure, and mayhem. For being my partner in hi-jinx. For questioning every wrong thought I’ve ever had about myself, and making me see the truth. You are the truth-keeper for my soul. Thank you for making me listen. Love ya, bestie.
7. Marie-Anne. Thank you for commenting on my blog, and for introducing me to Marie Kondo. Thank you most of all for being a wonderful person. Whenever I think of Canada, I think of you. You do your country proud.
6. Mom. I did thank you for the garden vegetables, but I never thank you for everything. Thank you for taking care of Dad. Thank you for everything. I’m so sorry for all the bad shit. Yes, I caused some of the bad shit, and I’m really sorry for unforeseen consequences.
5. My first beta reader. (Lemur’s alpha, in case you were wondering.) The one who read all of Schoolhouse Five, even though it sucked. The one who doesn’t like fantasy but still tried to read Al and Denny. The one who burned through nine painstakingly hard-to-edit chapters of Breaking All the Rules and begged for more. I love you so much, and I value your opinion, sometimes more than I value my own. I would say that even if you hated it.
4. All of my work friends. This is the first time I feel like I have more than two real friends (Ro. Em. ALWAYS.), not the fake kind who use you to get better grades, or more money, or so they can talk about you when you’re gone. Each one of my work friends has watched me have a hissy-fit over something stupid and they still want to hang out (I hope).
3. The DM’s boyfriend. For being awesome, and loving cheesy barbecue-sauce laden pizza. Thank you for thinking we are cool enough to hang out, and talking the DM down when she’s ready to kill us via our characters. AND the beta-reading. I could never thank you enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you. See? Not enough.
2. The DM. For having the hard conversations I need to have about marriage equality in Iowa, the not-glossed-over version. For cooking the most amazing food. For saying, “Fuck you,” when I dissed your favorite movie. ^__^ Do you know how long I’ve waited to have friends who can talk to me the way I talk to myself, and still be friends? Most people are too genteel. Thank you for speaking your mind, always, and for being the voice of dissent I need to hear. I need you in my life. Even if we don’t have enough people to game, I hope our friendship never dies. And yes, this is my way of apologizing for being an asshole. Forgive me? (I don’t even remember which movie. I am a terrible person.)
1. Lemur. Don’t worry about Lemur. He’ll be thanked privately. *Cough.*
