Thursday, July 31, 2008

new column:

When I was growing up, I was targeted. Constantly. By bullies. I was an effeminate nerdish boy growing up in a brutish Midwestern suburb surrounded by boys trying to prove how masculine they were and others trying to showcase how intelligence was stupid. So either I was picked on for being swishy or throttled for being smart. Either way I was never in the in-crowd and I was never in the out-crowd and I was not in any crowd; I was on my own. And so I kept very, very quiet. And I kept to myself.

And while this separation kept me safe at times, it wasn't always the case that I survived a day at school unscathed. I wrote recently about some of these difficult episodes remembered. But the larger point of my childhood and teenage years was a sense of shame, defeatism, and self-destruction. I kept to myself so much that I didn't know what a friend was until later on in years. I isolated myself so much that I never knew what a date was (homosexual or heterosexual) until in my 20s. I let the bullies win.

The problem with bullies is that they are so consumed with their own desire for power, over anything they can get power over, that they don’t realize that they're the ones who are most scared. Bullies fear being powerless, so they create power where none exists simply to make themselves feel better. And we who have been bullied end up the brunt of this all-consuming cycle.

As a child and teenager, I never knew how to deal with bullies. Like I said, I avoided them at all cost and separated myself from the world. So that I could be safe. So I could simply make it through the day without being hurt or trampled on or made fun of or beaten up.

It wasn't until I came into my own around 19 years old, upon 'coming out' and realizing I was ok for who I was, that I suddenly realized that I could stand up for myself. I wasn't going to separate myself from the world anymore for fear of these creatures. I was going to be myself and out and proud.

In 1992, I was registering voters in front of a Gay bar in Kansas City late at night when the club was beginning to get busy. (Yes, I know, I should have been enjoying my night out meeting cute boys and having fun, but I have always been one for electoral politics and social justice and I've never been able to shake the habit. Call me a nerdy liberal social activist til the day I die.)

At one point, as I stood outside in the darkened street, under the pale light of the street lamp and the moon, alone, a group of bullies came up to me, punched me in the face, knocked me down on the ground, broke my clipboard, and ran off before the club owners and security could stop them.

I stood up. I then asked the security guard, who had come running out to the scene, if he was registered to vote.

I then went inside, talked to more security personnel, and called my friends to come and stand outside with me.

And I went back outside.

I was shaken up and hurt and frankly, didn't get any more registrations that night, because I was a bit unfocused.

But I stood my ground.

I was not going to allow a bully to stop me from living my life again. And I had my friends and the security and the club owners and my fellow gay clubbing boys out with me on the cold dark night standing against the intolerance and hatred.

Later that night, deep into the night hours, when I got home and I was alone again, I cried. And I called my mom. And she cried. And the next day I had a big, bulging, brown and bluish bruise on my cheek. And my mother cried again when she saw it. And she and my father were so supportive. And my friends were so supportive. And while I was terribly shaken and hurt, there was a recognition of the support I had all around me, and a sense of pride within myself for having still stood my ground... after being pushed down onto it.

I registered two voters that night to vote in the presidential election of 1992. Only two, but two that come with a continued sense of pride for me to this day. I became closer to my parents and my friends. I suffered a painful ugly bruise on my cheek that no makeup could coverup.

And I had to, once again, deal with bullies who were afraid of my power.

For I had learned, through my much-bullied childhood, that the only real way to handle a bully is to stand up to them. By showing my own power, by being myself, by living my life, and by being proud, I am what they most fear.

Oh, and I also have no qualms about calling the principal.

Monday, July 28, 2008

more accommodation plans:

for my bangkok stay, i'm at the courtyard marriott

for my cambodia stay, i'm at a small bed and breakfast called the golden banana. this is most exciting because this is where i'll sleep while i spend most of my time there out and about in the angkor wat temples exploring history and architecture and culture and sunrises and sunsets

and i'm still working on my final place: in kuala lumpur, malayasia

yay!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

been doing lots of planning for the big trip to southeast asia. i can't wait to go. so much prep stuff to do. the big decision i've been trying to get through lately has been which island to stay at in thailand for 5 nights and which resort on said island. it was the hardest decision. because i didn't want a touristy hotel with spas and a pool and a lot of people. but i also didn't want total camping in the woods either.

anyway, i'm thrilled to have finally gotten through this decision and found myself with this wonderful choice here. i like it because it's very small, only a few bungalows, on a secluded part of koh chang island. and the island has a large national park inland with waterfalls and hiking trails which will give me ton to do. although my main thing is going to be sitting and looking at the ocean. this resort has amazing views and good references from other visitors, so i'm hoping it lives up to it. but i'm sure it will be amazing. the beach in particular is rocky where other touristy beaches on the island are sand, but i can motorbike (free motorbike with the room!) to them if i want to lay on sand. i'm not really into that part of the beach experience anyway. my main thing with my island getaway is to be in seclusion for a while looking out at the ocean. and this secluded spot with gorgeous views looks perfect.

here is a ton more about the island of koh chang, its national park, and be sure to click on the waterfall pictures...

Friday, July 25, 2008

Latino poetry festival


Latino poetry festival, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Saturday, July 19, 2008

latest newsletter here
and there's this:

to my co-chairs past and present:

i've decided that at the end of this year i am going to retire my service as the newsletter editor for alice. it seems like an appropriate time to do so as it will be the end of my fifth year and 5 seems to be a nice culminating number.

i still hope to be part of the board in some capacity, but i feel it's time to move on, do something else, and allow others to take on this unique endeavor

it's been a terrific 5 years. i really appreciate the support you have each given me over these years. as you all know, the newsletter editor is appointed by the co-chairs, and not elected, so i appreciate your trust in me to continue doing what i do. i also have appreciated the room you have given me to grow, try new things, stake my own claims, and give voice to issues of my own. i hope i have fulfilled your desires for the outreach of alice through our monthly newsletter.

i plan a few final statements to the membership in the upcoming newsletters. i am happy to work with whomever is chosen to take my place on what i've been doing and thoughts on what could be done in the future...

thanks again for all the love and support

reese

Monday, July 07, 2008

Turn sideways and...


Turn sideways and..., originally uploaded by Reeses World.

Believe it
--Reese

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Cafe flore


Cafe flore, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Cafe flore


Cafe flore, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Cafe flore


Cafe flore, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Cafe flore


Cafe flore, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Brunch is almost over


Brunch is almost over, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Brunch came!


Brunch came!, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Brunch came!


Brunch came!, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Waiting for brunch


Waiting for brunch, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Waiting for brunch


Waiting for brunch, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Waiting for brunch


Waiting for brunch, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Frida rocks


Frida rocks, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

Tourists


Tourists, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Friday, July 04, 2008

Shopping


Shopping, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

new column

"NeoGenesis"

Chapter 1
1 And, lo! The Court was sorry for the injustice on the earth, and it grieved them to their heart. 2 So the Court said, "I will blot out the injustice which was created from the face of discrimination, for we are sorry that this was the past." 3 For Love found favor in the eyes of the COURT. 4 These are the generations of Love. Love was righteous, blameless in its generations; Love walked with the Court and with the people. 5 And Love had many sons and daughters; Stuart and John and Del and Phyllis among them. 6 Now the discrimination was unjust in the Court's sight. 7 And the Court said to Love, "We have determined to make an end of all of this injustice. 8 For behold, we will bring a flood of change to the legal waters upon the earth, to destroy all injustice. 9 And we will establish our covenant with you; and you shall come into the future, you, your sons and your daughters. 10 And of all the men and women, you shall bring two of each sort into the chapel; they shall be male and male, female and female; male and female. 11 Of the people according to their kinds, and of the love according to their kinds, of every loving thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you. 12 Love can do this; Love did all that the Court decreed to the land.

Chapter 2
1 Then the COURT said to Love, "Go and prepare, you and all your households, for we have seen that you are righteous before us in these generations. 2 For we will send a flood of change upon the earth thirty days and thirty nights; and every thing will change." 3 And Love did all that the COURT had decreed. 4 And after the waters of the flood came upon the earth. 5 In the six thousandth year of Love's life, in the fifth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of great joy burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 6 And rains of change fell upon the earth thirty days and thirty nights. 7 The flood continued thirty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the future, and it rose high above the earth. 8 The waters prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth; and the future could be seen high floating on the face of the waters. 9 And the waters prevailed so mightily upon the earth that all the high mountains of injustice under the whole heaven were covered; 10 the waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen inches deep. 11 And all injustice died that moved upon the earth. 12 Only Love was left. 13 And the waters of justice prevailed upon the earth a hundred and seventy days.

Chapter 3
1 But the Court remembered Love and all the men and women that were with them for the future. And the Court made a wind of change blow over the earth, and the waters subsided; 2 the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of a hundred and seventy days the waters had abated; 4 and in the eleventh month, on the fourth day of the month, the future came to rest upon the mountains of the Electorate. 5 And the waters continued to abate until that eleventh month; in the eleventh month, on the fourth day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen. 6 At the end of those hundred and seventy days Love opened the window of the future which had been made, 7 and a Vote was sent forth of all the people; and it went to and fro, to see if the waters had truly changed the injustice and discrimination from the face of the ground; 8 and the Vote came back to Love in the evening, and lo, in her mouth a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Love knew that the waters had subsided from and changed the earth for the better. 9 In the thousandth and first year, in the eleventh month, the fifth day of the month, the waters of change were glorious on the earth; and Love removed the covering of the future, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was glorious. 10 Then the Love said to all, 11 "Go forth to the future, you and yours, and your sons and your sons' husbands, and your daughters and your daughters' wives with you. 12 Bring forth with you every living thing that is with you that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth." 13 So Love went forth, and its sons and daughters and its sons' husbands and its daughters' wives with them. 14 And everyone went forth by families out into the future. 15 Then Love built an chapel and put incense and flowers and rings upon hands. 16 And when the Court saw the pleasing views, the Court said in its heart, "I will never again allow injustice in the land. 17 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, justice shall not cease."

Chapter 4
1 And the future was blessed to Love and its sons and its sons' husbands and its daughters and its daughters' wives, and Love said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth." 2 Then Love said to its sons and daughters with them, 3 "Behold, we establish our covenant with Love and each other and our descendants after us. 4 We establish our covenant with you, that never again shall injustice dominate and destroy the earth." 5 And Love said, "This is the sign of the covenant which we make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 6 We set our rainbows in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between us and the earth. 7 When clouds are brought over the earth and the rainbow is seen in the clouds, 8 we will remember our covenant which is between Love and all of us; and the injustice will never be again. 9 When the rainbow is in the clouds, we will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between Love and all of us." 10 And so it was to be for all time in all the future over all the land.