Walking a mile in another person's shoes...

[archanglrobriel]

I know this video is long, but it's worth watching anyway. I also know that I'm likely preaching to the choir on this one, but still...I thought it was so well done, I had to post it:

Click to view

As I type this, my husband is on a business trip to Utah. His company's biggest client is in Salt Lake City and most of the people he's having to work with are

Comments

[d2leddy]

Soren had to go to a baseball game last night as a "teambuilding" exercise

Why? Why do they do this useless shit?

and all the straight team members and the straight Mormons were "bonding" and talking about their lives, their families.

The conversatin is always so refreshing.

Those are the phone calls that end with "Talk to you later, man" instead of "Love you!"

Ugh.

Inning being the opposite of outing

And no, Mom, we're not talking about bellybuttons.

Do you think your wife will like your hair this short?" The folks at my Weight Watchers meetings want to know what we did over the weekend and they ask "Did you go somewhere with your wife or girlfriend?" When I bought Soren roses, the florist said "Oh she's gonna LOVE you!" The nosy woman at Ree's school asks me "Are you a single Dad?"

If it's anuy consolation, Miss Manners would incinerate each offender. Politely, of course.

or how they wish "those angry dykes" would shut up and go awayOh yes. That's going to happen any moment. In fact, why don't you just tell them so

[archanglrobriel]

I always think more laughing, fun, drawing, singing and silliness naturally leads to more sex, but then my idea of what constitutes foreplay has always been....somewhat unconventional. ;)

[griffen]

If it's anuy consolation, Miss Manners would incinerate each offender. Politely, of course.

I have always loved Miss Manners' response to homophobes. This one, for example, was wonderful:

DEAR MISS MANNERS - Although gay marriage is a contentious issue in much of the country, it has gained a great deal of support, if not legal recognition. So I was shocked when I told an acquaintance that my partner and I had been married the weekend before and, instead of congratulating me, he rudely asked, "So which one of you is the husband?"

I would expect better from this man, who professionally represents the city as a local television "personality." My stunned silence failed to register in the flurry of activity. Can you suggest a strong yet dignified response?

GENTLE READER - "We both are."

The dignity consists of treating the question as another of the questions that newlyweds get about their courtships, names and plans, rather than assuming that you are targets for insult. And I've always reveled in Ann Landers' response to the

[danceuponstars]

Ann Landers = Awesome `;~)

[archanglrobriel]

Oh I don't got me no fancy shmancy stylist, darlin'. I went to a stylist back in the cash flush days of the dot com boom. These days I go to SuperCuts and...yeah. I have to fight with them to keep them from giving me a brush cut or some military inspired high and tight nightmare. *shudder*

I'm like...this far from just gettin' myself a Flowbee and callin' it a day.

[mattblakk]

Ok, this is probably going to seem a bit random, but should anything horrible ever happen to S when he's in Utah, we have some really close friends in Sacramento who are Mormon from one of those Mormon from time eternal really connected Mormon families and they are super loving and supportive of us. If we ever needed to, I'm sure they could use their connections to help get you treated the way you need to be treated in an emergency. Of course, that won't lessen the horror of being in the land of minivans overstuffed with blond myopic children, but just know there are people who love you and you're well-connected enough in this world to not have to worry.

Love ya.

[archanglrobriel]

Aw, hon... I'm really touched. It helps to know that if the bad stuff did come in, I am not without resources and to be reminded that really, there are good people everywhere. I found your response immensely comforting. Thank you. *big hug*

[technocowboy]

This reminded me of a quote from A Time To Kill:

Jake Tyler Brigance: [in his summation, talking about Tonya Hailey] I want to tell you a story. I'm going to ask you all to close your eyes while I tell you the story. I want you to listen to me. I want you to listen to yourselves. Go ahead. Close your eyes, please. This is a story about a little girl walking home from the grocery store one sunny afternoon. I want you to picture this little girl. Suddenly a truck races up. Two men jump out and grab her. They drag her into a nearby field and they tie her up and they rip her clothes from her body. Now they climb on. First one, then the other, raping her, shattering everything innocent and pure with a vicious thrust in a fog of drunken breath and sweat. And when they're done, after they've killed her tiny womb, murdered any chance for her to have children, to have life beyond her own, they decide to use her for target practice. They start throwing full beer cans at her. They throw them so hard that it tears the flesh all the way to her

[ladyegreen]

Just everything you wrote, all of it, little pieces of my thoughts and mind, my heart, echoing in your words. I wish I had the courage to say these things to the people closest to me who really don't understand.

My heart hurts from the truth.

I'll have to see what I can rummage together for the tree fort only bigger, probably some pillows because the world needs more pillows and blankets to make it a softer more inviting place.

L.