I am. Sort of. Some of my experiences, though, aren't for public consumption because of privacy concerns with the people I meet with and listen to, which I, of course, will always honor. Though as a person who likes to observe and share these observations, that can be hard. Last week, though, was just a glimpse of the kinds of people I meet with and the stories I get to hear. We had a party/benefit at T's Restaurant & Bar in Andersonville (where we're launching a third site this fall) and had a nice crowd attend. Here's a quick list of the people I talked with--some with whom I had lengthy conversations and others were just quick hellos:
**There were the three guys who are part of a gay burlesque show (two dance, the other does tech) and perform at various venues across the Midwest to raise money for AIDS awareness and prevention
**There's the 40something woman who got divorced a couple years ago, recently came out as a lesbian, and is wondering how or if she should tell her mother
**There's the couple who just got married in January--she gets up at 3 a.m. every day to work at a Caribou Coffee while also finishing school and he's a financial advisor at Edward Jones
**There's the woman who used to throw the shot put and discus at a Big 10 school and is now a veritable Pied Piper for our gay community (though she's straight)
**There's the transgender man who just finished his master's in social service administration at the University of Chicago and is looking for a job
**There's the straight guy who's going to Cincinnati this weekend for a reunion with his friends
**There's the woman who just happened to be at the bar last night, but is looking for organizations to partner with AmeriCorps for hunger relief
And there were a few others. And that's just one night. I've stopped trying to figure out the "right" way to respond to all of these diverse stories. I've learned simply to listen, be present, and love.
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