Tag: connecting

Abundance Continuance


Arts Live Here: Celebrating Joel Simon – Troop 276

Celebrating Joel: Arts Live Here

This is my world today. This is a sacred place within a sacred space within a community within a neighborhood within a city.

It’s a pretty cool place. Thanks to a Boy Scout named Joel Simon.

For my story, this place was completed on August 13th, 2021 – one day before the 18th birthday of the very man who created it.

It was completed on Friday the 13th. 13 is my lucky number.

Yes, Virginia. Great things are possible every day – even on Friday the 13th.

Thanks Joel for creating this place for us to enjoy!

Bloom where you are planted

Joel grew up in this community where we celebrate abundance, where we look for abundance, where we find abundance, where we shine a light on abundance.

I grew up in this community as well. Rather, I am growing up in this community.

So it made total sense for Joel to pick this spot for his final project in his journey to become an Eagle Scout. Because he quite literally grew up in this building. Well, at least one day a week. Sundays. A day of rest.

So Joel created a place to rest.

We bloom where we are planted.

Abundance Continuance Wide Shot
Our Community Fire Pit: A Place of Abundance

The Abundant Community: Broadway

This new community fire pit and art space is part of a magical space – The Abundant Community: Broadway. Inside, there are many rooms. And there is even a magical hallway called the Magical Arts Corridor! Come check it out sometime! It’s pretty rad, as my husband Brandon likes to say. I tend to agree.

There’s a lot more going on here DURING the week than there is on Sunday. Just saying.

Shining a Light on What is Already Here

When Joel Simon had to decide on a project for his Eagle Scout badge, he chose this place because he grew up in this church — in this community.

Because of that experience, he wanted to shine a light on what is already here today: abundance.

Seek and ye shall find.

Come, sit with me. Let the world be.

SRkian Haris

Thanks for listening.

Keep tellin’ the story.

Signed ever faithfully,

The Right Reverend Lord C. August Peacock III

Top 10 things I learned at a nudist colony


My fiancé and I just spent a week at a nudist colony. Having grown up in a Puritanistic society, I’ve grown up with that society’s rules, stigma and shame about the naked body.

B has opened my eyes to many mindful practices, including the freedom, body awareness and self-love associated with naturist practices. This was a first for both of us – spending a week at a gated community & resort for fellow nudists.

My reflections from our week include:

  1. Pan is the new bi
  2. The only thing you really need to pack is sunscreen – truly!
  3. Fake boobs look weird, just saying (granted, I’m not a boob man…)
  4. Not all nudists are naturists
  5. Naked transsexuals are beautiful too
  6. Spinning poi naked can be a little more dangerous
  7. Nudism isn’t about sex – but keeping it real, the two sometimes co-exist (just saying)
  8. Men generally do know how to give better head, from the observations I was able to make
  9. Being a nudist or naturist doesn’t always translate into open minded or gay-friendly
  10. The human body is beautiful, in all of its shapes and sizes; and the eyes are still windows to the soul

And my favorite “live life better” quote, from Dragonfly and Eric, is “Don’t yuk on someone else’s yum.”  @pureorgasmlove

Words to live by…

We’ve come a LONG WAY baby! #MYINDYPRIDE


This is the headline for this month’s The Word, a mainstay newspaper for the Indianapolis LGBTQ for 25+ years. This is from my frame of reference. I moved to Indy for the first time in July 1990 to take an entry level position at Eli Lilly. It was the era of Brother’s (now Ollie’s), OP’s (now Greg’s), the Metro and Jimmy’s (now the home of the Indiana Arts Council). I was barely 22 years old – the world was my oyster (literally, with my business travel) – and I was out and proud…slowly…everywhere…but work.

As I reflect upon my own journey from those first sometimes terrifying years in my career, worried what would happen at this “conservative, midwestern-values based career-oriented Fortune 100 Company” if they ever found out one of their top recruits was a “known homosexual?” I shuttered to find out…the stress at times was unbearable, wearing a mask and hiding who I was.

In those early years of coming out, I experience the Garage Party, the Grand Masquerade, Bill McKinley and Terry Woods at Jimmy’s Nightclub, the move/expansion of IYG into their current location, the Damien Center, the Bag Ladies, the Horny Hole / Unicorn, the 501, various other clubs that came and went, early Pride (without Corporate tables and national sponsors) and more… (Well, in my version of the past, they were all there then…)

Let’s take a “TBT” walk down memory lane – from then to now.  We’ve come a LONG way baby!

 

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Here’s me, dressed up as a Fairy Godmother for the Grand Masquerade (early 1990’s). This was taken with a dear friend, Ron Meyers – since departed, but an important early mentor of mine. To this day, they are finding fairy dust in the crevices of his downtown condo! 😉

 

Fast forward, and I’ll be back to Indy Pride tomorrow – riding with the Indiana Men’s Motorcycle Club – also known as bear-backs – I mean, the gay men’s motorcycle club. Here I am, 25+ years later, ready to be out and about again (ah, there’s another fond memory – Bruce Seybert and Out & About!)

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Here I am, 25+ years later – ready to head “Out and Proud” again in this month’s gay pride parade.  Look for me with the Gay Men on Bikes!