Categotry Archives: Friendship

When Truth does not Mirror Belief

In light of something rather unpleasant going down in my professional life, I wrote the following last night on my FB Page: I’m thinking tonight about integrity, which is telling the truth to yourself, and honesty, or telling the truth to other people. When a person has both qualities, and a willingness to do their best in all their endeavors, you’ve got the sort of person we all like to call “a keeper.” I strive to be that sort of [...]

Friendship and Politics

As my Facebook newsfeed fills with snarky barbs, I sigh and fantasize that the 2012 Presidential Election on the sixth of November has already passed.  I could write about the decline of manners; after all, it’s a time-honored pastime to lament how nasty elections have become.  The problem with this focus on the decline of manners is that it ignores just how rude, if not downright defamatory our American forebears were when engaged in political debate. Take the Presidential Election [...]

Musings on Collaboration and Friendship by Deborah Bryan

I am honored and excited to introduce my dear friend Deborah Bryan, the author of The Monster’s Daughter and Memos from Your Closet Monster, as our guest today. What first struck me about Deb (besides the swell name of her Facebook page) was her keen intelligence, strong conscience and grace, and I think my first impression was dead-to-rights accurate. In December, 2011, Deb and I first started writing these notes, or epistles, back and forth to one another, beginning a [...]

Unmarked Gay Graves: Persecution and Death by Hatred

I looked up when I heard the angry tone.  I searched the faces in the crowded classroom. Who was she talking to?  Why are they staring at me? The more she said, the more they stared at me.  Like a confused, sleeping child hunting for a lamp in the dark of night, I looked for someone’s hand to grab but the only thing I could find was my desk, so I held on so tight my fingers hurt.  I was [...]

Anger Has Benefits

Over the last 24 hours, a dear friend and I have been having a deep talk from one coast to the other about conflict.  To read Deb Bryan’s take on why conflict is good, please swing by her blog, The Monster in Your Closet, today.  But wait!  Before you dash off, I’d like to add my own perspective on how conflict is good, if handled in a healthy way. I like to argue and debate, and I always have.  As [...]

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