Monday, February 13, 2012

People Are People

Welcome back faithful few! I am sorry to disappoint, but I am not here today with a tirade. I was just cleaning around my computer room and I saw a picture of some friends and myself in front of the Naro Theater in Ghent. The majority of you reading have no idea what the Naro is, nor where in the hell Ghent is. Let me explain a little bit...The Naro Theater is a one screen movie theater with a stage and balcony. The performing group "Fishnet Inc." does a live rendition of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Naro 2-3 times a month. This is where the picture was taken.

When I look at the guys in this picture, it makes me think of the melting pot of friends and acquaintances I have come to acquire. One of them is gay, one of them weighs over 300 pounds, and one of them is a hillbilly. Now, if I were to further expand my collection of friends I would see that I have both gay and lesbian friends, Christian and Satanist friends, black and white friends, overweight and nearly anorexic friends, and old and young friends. I look back to high school...I had friends that were jocks, heads, preps, band geeks, nerds, closeted gays (it isn't like they could just be "out" in the late 80s in high school), and all other subclasses. This blog is for all of them (hell, there are many of those categories that I fall in as well....Satanist, overweight, geek, jock) and for me as well.

If you wear a XXL t-shirt or bigger, you are looked at like there is something wrong with you. If you believe that Jesus was something more than a character in a book (like Moby Dick) there are people who ridicule you. If you don't believe in Jesus at all, you are laughed at. If you are a guy that is attracted to other guys or a girl that is attracted to other girls you are called names, or beaten, and not afforded the rights of your heterosexual counterparts. If you speak with a Southern accent you are considered a redneck. If you speak with a Northern accent, you are considered a dumb Yankee. When we become adults, we find ways to deal with all of these issues. We shrug them off, we protest against the treatment, we hole up in our homes and shun the outside world...the list goes on.

In general, I could care less what people think about me. Let me qualify that statement. I don't care what people (who are not friends or family) think about me.I have told you all before that my friends and family are my life. I will do whatever I can to help them and keep them happy. Ignorant outsiders, I could give a shit. People that have issues with my friends (or me) for the way that they choose to live their life, or how they were born, or the things that they like (or don't like) drive me insane. I am not here to give them any of my time....I am here to tell my friends and family... The world will tell you who you are...until the point comes where you tell them.

I guess that is all I came here to say today. Just letting you all know that I am here, and I have heard you all when you have shown me your true colors. I accept all of you for who you are, just as you all accept me. Don't waste your time listening to the nay sayers...(just this here nay nay sayer). Don't let them tell you who you are....you tell them! Until next time...Stay Salty.

-Salty Dog