From Alex P. Keaton to Noam Chomsky in 10 Years

I believe that my very first crush in my adolescent life was Alex P. Keaton. I would sit every night I could and watch him and learn. It was because of him I decided that I wanted to grow up and become a wealthy business man. His clarity and take on the world seemed to make so much sense to me, and he wasn’t bad to look at either.

Even after the show left the air, I would try and catch it as much as I could, in syndication and on late night television. After leaving high school, I spent a summer in Grand Junction, CO. Over the course of those three months, I started to come into my own. I was staying with my father and stepmother, but I had already begun to really express myself. I lost a lot of weight, stopped eating meat and began to ride my bicycle everywhere. I actually did have a car, it was just in disrepair (a common theme in my life since then because I can’t just “buy a damn Chevy” and be happy) and so my only source of transportation was my bicycle.

In August, my Stepmother drove me to Fort Collins, CO where I moved into a single suite in the dormitories and began my freshman year of college. I was fortunate to not have to live with a roommate, of course I am quite sure that it had something to do with me asking “Do you have a gay dorm?” and it still doesn’t make sense to me why they put me in the football dorm, but I digress.

My first year at college was not an overwhelming success. I didn’t really study or try all that hard and I still managed to pull off better than a 3.0 GPA. I interviewed to be a RA and was offered a job as RA in the adult education dorm. At 19 years old, I would be managing people who would be in some cases 10 years older than me.

In that one year in college I felt my mind and soul awakening to a new life. I was outside of Alaska, and on my own. I no longer had any one else to officially account to and while I had always had my independence as a child, now I was truly free to express it. In hindsight, I wish I had a little more control thrust upon me as a child, but there is nothing I can do about that.

I joined several political and social groups on campus and before long, I was know by just about every Republican on campus. I was on my way to having the best college experience any person could hope for. Then, summer came. I went to the mountains and found a good job in Aspen. A lot of things happened that summer, nothing too significant, but a lot of smaller events that eventually lead to me not returning to school in the fall. That is the only decision I have ever made in my life that I have come even close to regretting.

Over the course of the next several years, I suffered through my dark years. I had forgotten how to think and create. I couldn’t even write simple poetry. Within a year, my creativity and drive for knowledge shriveled up, receded back to the corners of my mind and I forgot the high I got from learning.
Then, a couple of years ago, something happened. My desire to learn and create could no longer survive in the dark. Like an old sleeping vampire, a simple drop of blood revived the hunger. I realized that I had taken a vacation from reality and I had to go back. In any way I could.

As I sit here in the computer lab, on a Mac, listening to Cabaret Diosa and thinking of Joy, I realize that in a way, I have made full circle in my life. In fact, a full 10 year cycle. I am finally awake again and once again back on a path.

I caught a few minutes of Alex P. Keaton the other day. I don’t think in my youth I realized what it meant for Alex P. Keaton to be a republican or what his politics meant. I do now. Needless to say, I did not follow in the footsteps of Alex P. Keaton. I have instead chosen a different path: one slightly socialist, environmentalist, anti-corporatist and gay. You know, more like, Noam Chomsky.

AIDS Walk Sunday

AIDS Walk Sign In
Originally uploaded by Shayachern.

AIDS Walk

Val and I walked with the TOSA team in Sunday’s AIDS Walk Colorado. This is actually only the second time I have participated in the walk and I hope to make it an annual tradition.

The giant puppet was worn first by Jeff, founder of TOSA, and then by myself for the duration of the walk. It most definitely drew some attention!

Digital

Downtown From Campus
Originally uploaded by Shayachern.

Val and I received our digital cameras today. I have been aprehensive at best about buying a digital camera. I don't have anything against it as an art form (ok maybe a little) but I am not sure if it is going to be right for me.

After using the camera for a semester maybe I'll become more comfortable with it.

We'll see.

2 Grooms Media

I am quite happy to announce that our website 2 Grooms Media is finally up and running. While it is still bare bones, it will soon feature our photo galleries and other goodies. For those of you who have enjoyed my flicker photos, the photos on the website will hopefully be even better.

Hope you all get a chance to visit:

www.2gsmedia.com

Guns, Noodle Salad and Conversion

I would like to start by thanking all those who expressed their condolences and best wishes for my family and myself. The last week has been a difficult one many levels and knowing that we have the support of our communities at large is incredibly helpful in our processing our loss.

The services for my Grandmother took place Thursday morning and while I did not get to spend as much time up there as I had originally hoped, I did have a good week with my family. I have always had a weaker relationship with my father’s side of the family, and I hope that the time we were able to spend together helped to strengthen it; I am just saddened that it took the death of the Matriarch of the family to do it.

The actual service was wonderful with a few members of the family standing up and sharing their thoughts of my grandmother. I was quite upset with some of the choices that the pastor had made as far as his portion (for more information on that see Val’s post) but overall I feel that it was an appropriate good-bye.

I was surprised to see so many members of the Eagle County Sheriff’s office in attendance, and at one point was a little overwhelmed by how many of the attendees were armed. I am confident that as my grandfather adjusts to his life without his wife of 50 years, they will be there to help him as much as they can.

I am always amazed at how a community and friends come together in a time like this and how, if only temporarily, barriers and prejudices are put away for the sake of loss. I have unfortunately been to too many services for family members in the past few years, and I sincerely hope that I can have as much time as possible with those who are currently in my life.

Thank you all again,

Shaych