.
i don't remember exactly, but i think the barbie got shitcanned when i hit kindergarten.
not because i'd tired of her (i hadn't), or because my friends teased me (they didn't), or because my father disapproved (he no doubt did, but never said a word).
it was none of those things--it was more like one day i opened my eyes, saw what was up, made the safe choice and never looked back.
poor linda hussey and her barbie up the street probably never knew why my barbie and i suddenly stopped returning their calls.
get over it, linda.
* * * * *
that afternoon, i got on his bus, got off where he did, trailed him at a safe distance and then walked home (as luck would have it, not too far).
the following saturday, i biked over to his street and rode aimlessly up and down until his sister noticed me.
"have you seen my friends?" she hadn't, but invited me over to play until they showed up.
at the end of that day, the baxter family piled into their car and headed off to dinner somewhere, with mike hanging out the left rear window, waving at his fine new friend and grinning from ear to ear until they disappeared from sight.
and i sat there astride my bicycle, waving back, thinking, "gotcha."
* * * * *
we spent hours talking on the phone over the course of that eighth-grade year, although i wouldn't have been caught dead talking to him at school (he didn't seem to care about that either).
he didn't even seem to care the day i sketched that caricature which so perfectly captured his mincing walk and passed it around health class--he laughed along with everybody else.
thank god being bullied back then wasn't painful like it is today.
_______________________
this post was inspired by the story of a boy who, like ricky, didn't hide. may his sweet young soul rest in peace.
2 comments:
As a "sensitive" child, it is often difficult to just get by from day to day.
Sometimes, it feels like it is the end of the world and just unbearable to live another day.
That was what it was like for a lot of gay boys growing up. That was then.
The problem is that now there is facebook the mean kids do not stop their bullying at school. It goes on 24/7.
I was certainly a sensitive child and had my own difficulties. I had the benefit, however, of being extraordinarily clever and mean and these were potent weapons that were used on any one who dared cross my path. Although my path was lonely, it was not crossed much.
As for guttermorality, I understand that he was far too smart a boy to have had too many problems.
As for the three stories, these are really just snippets of a life. Why aren't you fleshing them out?
noblesavage: this post went exactly where i intended it to go--shame nobody else came along for the ride.
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