Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Emergence of the Gucci Butterfly...

He has not felt normal for weeks. His energy is soaring and then sapped. His mood is shifty. He wonders if he needs to see the doctor about a lexapro prescription or a mono test. He's not so sad. He's not so alone. He just feels...different. And its not necessarily emotional or spiritual, and its not necessarily physical.

The normal comfort of his dark, cool space is gone. It has been replaced with a desire to see the light and color that he's sure are all around him. The typical satisfaction of the look of the things surrounding him has been supplanted by a desire to touch. To feel. To experience. He feels trapped.

As he lies down to rest, the blankets and bedclothes that rest against his skin begin to move. At first he is surprised, then a bit frightened. The textiles are tightening around him, and beginning to cover his head. Before he knows it, he is completely eclipsed by the covers that once offered so much comfort. He begins to feel claustrophobic.

It is inside this cocoon that he begins to panic. Gasping for every breath in spite of the abundance of air, he is both scared and confused. He doesn't know how to escape. After what seems like a lifetime of struggle, he collapses in exhaustion, no less confined than at the beginning.

He begins to think. "What if I can't get out?" "What if I die here?" "Does anyone know where I am?"

He thinks about who he is. He thinks about how others view him. He thinks about the soreness in his back? Unknowing of what has begun, he notices a dull throbbing in his back. Did he hurt himself while stuggling? He feels a bump in his skin.

He tries to ignore it. He tries to explain it away. He tells himself it wasn't true and he feels just fine. He screams to the world around him that his back doesn't hurt. There is nothing wrong. He even calms down for a bit. He tells himself he isn't stuck in this cover. He's just sure of it.

He feels the bump growing. He feels it grow so large that he thinks his skin is about to burst open. He is frightened that something is seriously wrong and he may not survive this. He realizes that he's in a spot, and if he doesn't find someone and let them know what's going on, he could be trapped here alone and hurting. It could kill him.

So he screams again. "HERE I AM! OVER HERE! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" He's coming to terms with his pain, and he understands now that he's trapped. He knows that there has to be something that can get him free.

It is then that his skin tears open and the bumps continue to grow. Strangely, there is no pain. His back doesn't hurt. He isn't bleeding. He knows that he has changed, but doesn't really understand how or why. He decides to ignore the change and focus on getting out of this trap he has fallen into.

After realizing that nobody can hear him, no one can free him, he decides it is up to him to free himself. Nobody knows what it will take to get him out. He feels around inside his textile cage and feels nothing. No weak spots, no tears, no openings at all. "If I'm going to do this, I'm going to have to do it with my own hands. It's up to me..." he thinks.

He gets quiet. More quiet than he's ever been. Barely a breath comes out of him for what seems like an eternity. He is building up the energy and mental stamina to do something bigger than he has ever dreamed of doing. He is conjuring the raw strength to break through the chains that are holding him captive.

And just as quickly as he became entrapped, with all of the passion and might that anyone has ever seen, he tears a small hole in his cocoon. He peers through the hole. He doesn't see the familiar dark surroundings that he's become accustomed to. Instead, a bright ray of light penetrates the hole. Initially, it hurts his eyes, but with an overwhelming desire to breathe fresh air and a seemingly unquenchable thirst to drink his freedom in, he pulls at the hole with all that he is.

With wings fully outstretched and designer mandarin collar freshly pressed, the former caterpillar emerges from his cocoon as he was meant to be. The Gucci Butterfly stands at the open closet door to look at the world around him. He looks at his reflection in the mirror and realizes that the bump in his back was in reality, the beginning of enlightenment to who he is. The beauty and colors of his wings amaze him, and he is excited to be who he is. Was this what he had denied? Was this what he feared? The Gucci Butterfly smiles, and yells out to the world around him "HERE I AM!"

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Ethan is no more. Visit the Gucci Butterfly for details...

Saturday, June 04, 2005

Catching up....

So, it seems I "have some 'splaining to do"... In the next couple of days, I'll be writing two "part 2's".

In The History of My Sexual Orientation Part I, I spoke briefly on part of how I got where I am today. Looking back over it, I sorta left it hanging sounding like I feel I'm a victim of my surroundings. In Part II, I'll finish the thought....I promise, I like who I am... ;-)

In The Short Version, I teased about my outing experience with Momma... The Long Version will have all the juicy details...

Anyway, much love peeps, we'll catch this shit up.... ;-)

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

I was...I am...



I was religious.
I am spiritual.
I was confused.
I am aware.
I was lying.
I am telling the truth.
I was scared.
I am empowered.
I was alone.
I am loved.
I was angy.
I am peaceful.
I was perfect.
I am human.
I was silent.
I am heard.
I was forlorn.
I am elated.

I was gay.
I am gay.

My name is Dustin. I was a shadow of who I now am. Get to know the real me.

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

The Short Version...

So, the short version is I got on a plane and came out to Mom this weekend. I'm working on the long version. Look for it in the next day or two...

Realistically, this means I'm now free to just be me. She's the only one who's opinion means shit to me, and now that she knows, there's no sense in hiding in this damned closet. Not that I'm going to wear stilletos to work tomorrow or anything. Its just, I've been in this closet so long without a vacuum or anything that its starting to get a little musty....

More to come....

Monday, May 09, 2005

A Part of the Family

So, I'm part of the family. After years of feeling alone in my closet, I am less lonely than I've ever been. Don't get me wrong, my genetic family loves me an insane amount, and hopefully still will after I come out to them. But now I have a "Roomy" that I love and adore, and who compensates for my faults and shortcomings. He completes me. I also now have a group of friends who accept me for who I am, not just how well I play the role they expect from me.

Since coming out to Hotass in January, he has welcomed Roomy and I into his family, for which we are both very greatful. Hotass is a sweetheart. I love him to death. The first family member he introduced us to was Skipper. I love Skipper. He's a doll. Since then, we've met T-Man, Ranger, the Dynamic Duo, Linda Gayle, Jon Jon, Peter, Wade, Amy and the list goes on. So many sweet people. I know its sappy, but it feels good to be liked for who I am. *insert cheesy music here*

Friday, May 06, 2005

Making Strides....

So, I quit the band. I knew it was coming, they knew it was coming. Its done. Such a big load off that I can't explain it. Yes, it has been my lifelong dream to play music full time. Yes, this was the best band of which I've ever been a part. Yes, there is major record label interest, high CD sales (for an indy band), and a plethora of booked dates. So why am I so happy to walk away from it?

I'm a queer. The band is a christian rock/worship band. Religious-right, republican, conservative, uptight, judgmental, unaccepting, and unforgiving. Don't get me wrong, they are three of my favorite people in the world, and I greatly value them as friends. And we made some kick-ass tunes. But as I make my way out of the dark corner, through the neatly folded winter and fall clothing, past the tie rack and the shoe caddy and across the threshhold out the closet door, I have grown weary of living my two lives.

No longer should I subject myself to faux-holy and annointed, overly pious ignorants who think that my love is less favorable than their's. No more should I willingly place myself in situations where I am forced to either lie and speak out against my own beliefs or remain silent to avoid confrontation and condemnation. Never again should I be expected to accept empty words and ideologies without so much as questioning why it has to be the only truth.

It was not possible to remain in the band and break free of those chains. I couldn't go through another day pretending I wasn't in a kind of self-inflicted bondage. It is better to step away from one's comfort zone and into the unknown than it is to stay in an unexplained, unrealistic, unGODLY hell of a reality. That's right, I said it. The perfect churchy bullshit that I had chosen to exist in cannot possibly be ordained by a loving Creator.

A message to the church: Let the JUDGE do the judging! Remove the plank from your eye and see that there is alot of real, unconditional love that HAS GOD'S STAMP OF APPROVAL! Deal with it.

So yeah, quit the band. Happy day. ;-)

Sunday, April 24, 2005

Return to the Blogosphere....

So, I normally despise things like this, but because I love ya, Skip, I thought this lil quiz would be a dandy return to the blogosphere:

Three Names You Go By:
Ethan, the Mop (its own blog), Starr


Three Screen Names You Have: just ethan

Three Things You Like About Yourself: I'm creative. I'm a visionary. I'm funny (sometimes).

Three Things You Dislike About Yourself: I over commit. I don't often follow through on visions. Sometimes my timing is shit.

Three Parts of Your Heritage: English, Irish and German

Three Things That Scare You: Carnies, bats, and vaginal secretions

Three Everyday Essentials: Music, love, and friendships...

Three Things You Are Wearing Right Now: 2(x)ist No-Show briefs, a pink stretch polo, Birkenstocks

Three Favorite Bands/Artists: Pink Floyd, N'Sync (yeah, I said it), Carpark North

Three Favorite Songs At Present: "Cars and Trains" by George Michael, "Human" by Carpark North, and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day.

Three Things You Want To Try And Do In The Next Twelve Months: Record a song, go to Toronto, tell my mom I'm queer

Three Things You Want In A Relationship: Security, Friendship, emotional sex

Two Truths And A Lie: I have been a Jew, I have been a Mormon, I have been a Baptist

Three Physical Things About The SAME Sex That Appeal To You: hard arms, hard asses, hard winkies

Three Things You Just Can't Do: Sky dive, mountain climb, like Martha Stuart

Three Favorite Hobbies: Making music, graphic art, dancing

Three Things I Want To Do Really Bad Right Now: Quit my band, smoke a joint (first time for everything, eh?), and marry my "roommate"

Three Careers You Have Considered: musician, actor, project manager

Three Places You Want To Go On Vacation: Glasgow, Toronto, Key West

Three Kid's Names You Have Considered: Ethan James, Ewan Anthony, Alexis Cherise

Three Things You Want To Do before You Die: Change someone's life, change someone's mind, change someone's heart

Three People Who Have To Take This Quiz Now: Hotass, Tinkerbell and Miss Deja Vu