One boring Sunday in April, 9 years ago, I quite accidentally fell into a movie I had not previously even heard of: Latter Dayswas what some might call, niche or artsy independent film. Long before anyone heard about Brokeback Mountain, Latter Days opened my eyes to the possibility and beauty of gay love. I was so taken by the film that I returned to the same theater no less 5 times in the following days. (I often wondered if the multiplex theater in Las Vegas that I was visiting every 2-3 days had extended its stay by 2 weeks because of die-hard fans like me who couldn’t getting enough of the film.) Then I went into a profound depression that left me weepy and unmotivated to go to work or do much of anything.
Just a couple of weeks after my first viewing of Latter Days, I put my depression behind me by finally, at age 48, coming out of the closet. I said ‘yes‘ to the possibility of love and companionship and I’ve never looked back.
Similar psychological dynamics played themselves out in my head this past weekend but in reverse. Yesterday, as I took my weekly Shabbat afternoon walk, I found myself in a funk: I was somewhere between ready to bite the head off of the first person who looked at me the wrong way and a strong desire to throw a few things in a backpack and disappear into a remote forest for an indefinite period of time.
Then I saw the video below which had been posted to Facebook. After lots of T&T (tears & tissues) I felt renewed and exuberant.
Talk about love! Talk about romance! Talk about unconditional support from friends and family! What a wonderful, life affirming video this is!
I may not have it ‘all’ yet, but this 6 minute love story has renewed my hope in happier days to come.
(THANK YOU ADVOCATE MAG. FOR SHARING THIS VIDEO. CONGRATS TO MIKE & DAVE ON THEIR ENGAGEMENT!)
Tent of Abraham 