PRIDE

Originally Published on my Facebook notes June 9, 2012.  New material added at end and pictures throughout.

What does PRIDE mean to me?  PRIDE Stands for PEOPLE RECOGNIZING INDIVIDUAL DIVERSITY and EQUALITY.

To me, PRIDE means so much.  It means a world where being who you are is not scoffed at, mocked, or hated.  It means being able to hold his hand and walk with my head hel high without fear of condemnation.  It is a time to escape the world of closed-minded ignorant bigots, and just celebrate who I am.

PRIDE means different things to each of us, but to me it means BEING ME!

Let's break it down, shall we?
PEOPLE - Human kind, all human kind, no separation by race, creed, religion, or sexual orientation, just PEOPLE
RECOGNIZING - Taking notice and giving validity to the existence of
INDIVIDUAL - Each single person who exists
DIVERSITY - the differences between the recognized individuals
EQUALITY - being treated the SAME as everyone else, something we all wish to acheive

As I find myself estranged from my family because of their misguidence by a bigoted in-law, I hold my head up high, knowing that those who matter most in my life love me for me and always will.  To my loving partner, my wonderful children, my understanding ex-wife, my best friends, and my family who have not abandoned me, I SAY THANK YOU for allowing me to be ME and accepting all that comes with who I AM.

As I prepare to attend the Circle City PRIDE Parade and Festival, I prepare to celebrate who I am and recognize everyone for their Individuality while noting their differences and searching for equlaity for all PEOPLE!!

Addendum June 7, 2015

This year my partner and I will attend the Circle City PRIDE Parade and Festival with my 15 year old twin sons for the first time. I love that we will be able to share this even with these two loving, compassionate, supportive young men.  They are true examples of acceptance, as they see all human beings for who they are and not what the world might have them see.  We will share the time during this event with these two young men and some of our closest friends to show PRIDE in our individuality and our happiness to be who we are.

New Year, New Me, New Life

2015 looks to bring a lot of change to my life.  Yes, it is the beginning of a new year, but it is already shaping up to be so much more than that for me.

As 2013 came to close, I looked ahead to 2014 with cautious optimism.  Then I woke up on January 1 and found myself needing more caution and feeling less optimism.  I found that I was over being the guy who worked to keep things peaceful and make everyone else around me happy, while I was falling apart myself.  Then 2014 saw two major health scares that nearly brought my life to a halt. March brought hospital stay number one, then December found another hospital stay. There was even a visit to the emergency room in between.

I found myself staring death in the face in March as pneumonia put me in a coma, left me hospitilized for 37 days, and months of recovery ahead.  It also showed me how my real friends rallied around to uplift and support me during my lengthy recovery.  By June I was back to my self with minimal risidual effects from the illness that nearly took me away.  Experiencing this type of illness, the return from a coma, and the months of therapy, made me realize I can overcome most anything.

After recovering we took a much needed family vacation to Florida.  We enjoyed family time with a renewed sense of life and what life holds for all of us.  We began to work on strengthening our family unit and working on more time to spend together with less interruptions.

Then, BAM!!  December 18 I was hit with a stroke. This gave me another chance to see that I am not invincible and that life can take so many unexpected turns in a short period of time.  I am still in the midst of this latest recovery, but I am determined to return to myself and take on the future with whatever it has to throw my way.  I am gearing up for the year ahead with plans of advancing myself, my family, and my career.  I vowed in April that I would not be defeated, and I am even more committed today to what lies ahead.  I will proceed with caution but with a renewed sense of optimism that will not see me fail.

As 2015 takes shape, I plan to recover my health, advance my aspirations, and see my family stronger than last year.  Together we will all be more successful as long as we all work together to inspire, support, and encourage one another from day one.  So, as this new year begins, I vow to fight for things that are important and stay committed to the relationships that make me who I am.  Fight has taken on a whole new meaning for me, and you need to get on board with what it means or get out of the way because I do not plan to give up or stop any time soon.