As most of you are aware the first few
days of December have been extremely busy for me. We had rehearsal
for the play “Faces of AIDS” on Thursday November 29th
and the actual live performance was on December 1st. Now
keep in mind that December 1st is World's AIDS Day and it
is also my birthday. This year I turned 44, which is surprising and
amazing in itself since no one ever thought I was going to make it to
be this old. But you know God has different ideas and plans for our
lives and if our work on earth isn't finished then he just might not
bring you home. Actually if you want to know that truth of the
matter my life started picking up speed right before Thanksgiving and
hasn't actually slowed down yet. But as I was saying since I was
co-author of the play and a member of the Positive Champions Speakers
Bureau and this was a benefit to raise funds for our organization to
help us meet the grant requirements, it was my duty to help set up
the space and get us ready for the performance. However since it was
my birthday I was expected to make an appearance at my dad's place to
have a little celebration before the rehearsal and set up, so that is
just what I did and it worked out well, I was able to get to the
Museum of Arts and Sciences early and help the cast get all set up
and organized. Now when I tell you that the performance was
awesome, a good time was had by all, I am not selling us short. For
the amount of time we had to rehearse and get this under our belts we
did a fabulous job. We had a great turn out and when we opened it up
to questions and answers the audience participation was excellent. I
want to again tell the members of the Positive Champions Speakers
Bureau once again, Good Job, Well Done and I am so proud of you.
But that was just the beginning of the
adventure that was going to start on December 1st, after
the Faces of AIDS Benefit, most of us went on to the Streamline Hotel
for another fund-raising event that was to benefit Outreach Community
Care Network an AIDS Service Organization of which I am a client of.
They are the organization that helps administer the Ryan White Title
funding for Volusia and Flagler counties. They are almost like a
pride center, they offer medical services, case management, and a
whole host of other services. But I digress as usual here. The
benefit at the Streamline Hotel was in Tribute and Remembrance of
Billie Boots. Who was a pioneer and champion in raising money for
HIV and AIDS from the very beginning. I am proud to say that I knew
Billie and the huge heart that he/she had for those infected and
affected by HIV. For those of you that haven't figured it out Billie
was a female impersonator or as some might call her a Drag Queen, no
matter what your choice of titles for Billie, I will just say this an
Entertainer that really loved Entertaining. Now back in the day when
I first met Billie I was a struggling and aspiring female entertainer
myself and I had a stage name of Idora Dixx and for years I traveled
the drag circuit with folks like Billie Boots, Gilda Golden, Rusty
Fawcett, Carmella Marcella Garcia, Paige King, Daniel Hunter and the
list goes on. It was at this fundraiser at the Streamline that I ran
into my past and reconnected with some great friends and entertainers
that I had lost touch with over the years. It was a fabulous night
and a great time supporting a worthy cause.
It was also that night that my tooth
broke, so Monday I spent the day trying to get in to see a dentist to
get it fixed, and then start packing, because my friend Judy decided
to call me Sunday December 2nd and pay for my plane ticket
out to L.A. Then Tuesday came and I had an appointment with the
dentist in Orlando so my friend Mary Bennefield and I jumped in the
car and drove to Orlando to see the dentist only to be sent away
because I had an infection and my insurance would only cover
extracting the tooth. Wednesday my friend had neuro-surgery and I
promised to take Mary grocery shopping and run errands. Thursday I
had to clean house, do laundry, meet with the Vocational
Rehabilitation people and so many other things. Because I was
leaving on my trip to California on Friday. Now normally I am not so
manic, but I really wanted to get the house clean and everything put
up so that when I came home from this trip everything would be done
and I wouldn't have to do anything but come home and relax. Because
in my experience I usually need a vacation from the vacation because
I am one of those people that is always on the go.
Now the whole reason why I am telling
you all of this stuff is to demonstrate that we need to always expect
the unexpected and be amazed and surprised when miracles happen in
our lives. Because let me tell you a bit more about this past week,
the things that just jumped out at me and happened. These are not
all bad things, most of them have been pleasant revelations and I
want to demonstrate them to you. See the way things were happening,
me being sick with pneumonia right after Thanksgiving, the play
rehearsals, then the benefits, I just had no time to think let alone
do anything but react. Because of that I was open to the unexpected
and great things happened. I think in a way because I wasn't feeling
well, and so much was happening around me, my mind just disconnected
and I was open to receiving the unexpected. Now what am I talking
about by the unexpected? Well let me tell you, the unexpected are
events that take place around you and include you that you are
unprepared for totally. That being said I will use the play event as
an example, even though I had helped write the script for the play
and helped with stage managing and blocking the cast, I wasn't
actually prepared mentally for the performance. I had just been out
of the hospital for 7 days and my mind couldn't remember my lines to
save my life. But when it came down too it and I was on the stage
and the action was happening around me, a peace settled over me, it
almost seemed like time slowed down, and the action around me faded
just a little, and the words poured out of my mind and mouth like I
knew what they were supposed to be. That my friends is the
unexpected. Moving on, I was exhausted and my feet hurt from being
on them all day, I had no intention of going to the Streamline that
night, but I had never been there before and everyone was talking
about going and somehow I just agreed and went. Bam! The unexpected
happened, not only did I have a fantastic time and got to hangout
with my new friends from the Speakers Bureau, I also ran into some
very old and dear friends from my past. I actually reconnected with
a few, exchanged numbers and have made plans with them for after my
trip to California. So see, the unexpected just jumped out at me and
happened. The rest of the week was just happening so fast and
everything was a blur, I didn't think I would even have time to catch
my breath let alone get everything done that I wanted to get done
before I left, but as I shut the door on my apartment this morning I
smiled on with contentment everything was completed and done before
my father ever showed up to take me to the airport.
Here is another example of expect the
unexpected, and it wasn't necessarily a good thing either, see the
unexpected can be either good or bad depending on the situation and
the circumstances that surround it. I got up this morning had a few
last minute things to pack, which I had put out in the living room by
the suitcase so I would see them when I got up, I got all of that
done with remarkable precision, even had the ticket laying on the
coffee table in a place where I would see it and pick it up. Dad got
there and I scooted around to get him the stuff I wanted him to take
home because I thought it might go bad while I was gone. As we left
out I gave the keys to my neighbor so she could collect my mail for
me and stuff, and had dad take me to the gas station to get an
electronic cigarette so I could have something to smoke on while I
was in the airport and on the plane. Once I paid for it and got back
in the car I looked around and couldn't find my itinerary or
e-tickets anywhere. I couldn't find them in the car, we went back to
the gas station and they weren't there, and then we went back to my
apartment and I looked around and couldn't find them anywhere. All
my careful planning and making sure I had everything went right out
the door. I had made dad come over early so I could be early to the
airport. Got there just a little before noon and guess what the
flight didn't leave until 3:55, it was supposed to leave at 1:52.
Then my connecting flight in Charlotte was also delayed. Again, it
is me, I should have expected the unexpected!
Honestly no matter how hard I try to
plan something it always falls apart or turns out a colossal mess,
however if I do things spontaneously and by the seat of my pants it
usually turns out spectacular. I have been told that it is a part of
my nature as dictated by my zodiac sign which is Sagittarius. I am
not sure how true that is but I know that things seem to flow better
and have better results when I just wing it as they say. So, what is
it that I am trying to tell you in this article? I am telling you
that you have to be open and flexible. Life rarely goes the way we
want or plan, you have to accept the inevitable and just go with the
flow, the unexpected isn't always negative, it can have some positive
benefits as well just like in my examples. The truth is life just
happens and no matter how carefully you plan, sculpt and try to make
things happen, it might just go awry for no apparent reasons.
Realizing this will cut down on the stress and disappointment you
feel when it happens to you. I have told you before that life is
messy, full of twisted and colorful characters, chance events and
encounters, adventures and all sorts of things that will get you
totally filthy dirty if you let it. Enjoy it, go out there and get
crazy wild and totally dirty, but have fun doing it. Don't let your
temper flair because your vacations plans got screwed up, go with the
flow, enjoy yourself. I am sure that if you just let it go, go with
the flow and enjoy yourself no matter what you are going to have the
time of your life.
Life is crazy, hectic, and doesn't
conform nicely or neatly into rigid roles, rules and plans, so you
have to expect that you are going to be thrown a curve-ball every now
and then, that your plans are never going to happen as you expect
them to and that you have to be flexible and enthusiastic enough to
just go with it and enjoy it. This trip started off pretty good and
I am rolling with the flow here, and I am happy that I did, I haven't
gotten upset or stressed out at all and this is going to be the best
trip ever, wanna know why? Cuz, I found out that my boyfriend is
coming to meet me tomorrow which is totally unexpected, but totally
welcome. Again expect the unexpected and be open to change. It is
all about acceptance and adaptability.
As always my hopes and dreams are with
you,
Uncle B
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