with gratitude...

this thanksgiving
we put our beloved family dog meg
to sleep

she had been very, very ill
for some time
blind and mostly deaf for even longer

and finally at the point where
she could no longer eat

it was both heartbreaking and somehow easy
taking those final days with her
but knowing that it really, really was her time

thanksgiving morning
as i shaved and showered
my mom and brother headed to the lake house
and my little sister got herself ready for the day

my dad
drove our 13 year old meg to the next town over
to the only open animal hospital nearby
and handled what needed to be done

before he left
we each had our goodbyes with meg
whispers, kisses, hands on fur
but he was the one to drive her
carry her into the hospital
and be with her in the end

my father stepped in to save us from that pain.

that entire afternoon i was so moved
by the sheer reality of life, family and the inevitability of loss

i was moved because
for the first time in a long time
i was reminded that this man is the leader of our pack
that when horrible situations arise
he is first in line to fix them

and i was suddenly safe with this awareness
we each were
safe in his protection

a few hours later
as my sister, dad and i headed to the lake ourselves
to join the rest of our family and our friends

he told us everything

how the doctor had said this was especially difficult
because she had an english springer spaniel just like ours

how she had told him that meg was truly very sick
and that we had made the humane choice

how my father had cried, somehow
saying goodbye to her like that

all alone
with his dog there one moment
and then calmly, peacefully gone the next

then, shouldering the burden
for everyone else

without praise or fanfare
he headed home
to us

pride and prejudice

saturday, november 15
a protest, a gathering, a movement
at new york's city hall

in response to the passing of
proposition 8 in california
which aims to effectively ban gay marriage

as i skipped down the street looking for my friends
i was amazed by the thousands and thousands of people
standing, chanting, moving en masse

people of every age, race, sexual orientation and size
many with unimaginably witty or moving posters

"shame on h8! equality for everyone"
"give, live, love"
"straight... but not straight up stupid"
"shall we vote on YOUR marriage now?"
"love thy gay-bor!"
"1/2 citizen"
"gay is the new black"
"i'm here to meet my husband"
"please let my son marry"
"no more mr. nice gay"
"REALLY?"

each and every one of these people empowered
and finally angry for a change

there was hope and pride and joy and glee
all the emotions one would expect from a gathering of "gays"

but mixed with that was the sobering reality
that history is repeating itself yet again
and that if any of us expect REAL change
then that'll take a little bit more than glitter & a dance beat

it will take strategic, organized political action

all in all, i think it was important for so many of us
to know that in some small way
we were participating, contributing

i'm not too sure what a bunch of fired-up gays in new york
will do for a law that WAS voted on
by the tax paying citizens of california
but every crack in that ceiling helps

and at any rate (because to some degree most stereotypes are true)
the 8 of us who gathered and made our voices heard
ended up having a fantastic late afternoon brunch in brooklyn
once all the megaphones and posters had been put away

now THAT'S a movement we can all get behind...

it is time...

(my) Election Day 2008


vote here. vote often.


the energy of election day at p.s. 72


voting booth proof.


Last Call for Change: Guastavino's New York


the phone bank, november 4th


gavin brown's "penthouse" election night party


shock and awe.


Mr. President

inspirING.

the ING new york city marathon
inspiring beyond words

in hordes they flowed
on this brisk november day
bodies, energy, sweat, tears

a never ending parade of colors and faces
lycra running shorts and nike tennis shoes

it was an amusing bunch this year
more costumes than i'd have expected
from braveheart to borat to batgirl

and then there were those who moved past me
leaving us all stunned and breathless
paraplegics racing on their metal legs
participants in wheelchairs
the blind being guided by friends

no one can stop the spirit
if it has to move it will

plus, there was ryan reynolds
whose body is like some sort of sculpture

and even some trannies too!
with auburn wigs and pink body suits
winded, heads down, powering on

i went to cheer on my friend jenny
who never ceases to inspire me

but was left somehow moved by everyone
the jokesters, the struggling
the beautiful, the proud

you could say it's just putting one foot in front of the other
granted, one foot in front of the other for 26.2 miles

but it's a testament to the human body
the human will

and i couldn't be prouder
of all of them.