I wasn't going to begin this post like this, but you see, yesterday turned out to be a great day at Cherry Grove. As with each holiday visit, this time was different than any time before it. "The Grove" is the one place where most all of Long Island's LGBT community gather regularly, especially on holiday weekends. That said, almost every holiday visit has a different feel to it.
There are all kinds of people you run into at the Grove. There are those you only see there, and then there are others who you see regularly and happen to hang with while you're over there. Like always, yesterday saw a mix of people who you wouldn't ordinarily see all in one place. Despite the cool temperatures, the place was packed, which was nice!
That being said, one of the groups of people I did hang out with were my bowling buddies. Joining that bowling league was one of the best things I ever did, and some of the people I've met there are genuine, great people. One of them, Eric, who is a fellow teacher, had this to say on Facebook this morning:
Great night. Learned a lot about my friends. They make me laugh. They are generous. They are hurting. They aren't afraid to share, or be honest, or offer a shoulder. They care. They are traveling a path, unexpected, and without promises, but they all have a destination awaiting them and I feel so lucky to be a pit stop now and then on their journey. Love you guys and appreciate all that you bring to my life.
Awesome sentiments, right? Eric is one of the sweetest, kindest people I know and for sure the love he dished out in that post is returned tenfold. His words are poetic and poignant, and no one could have said it any better.
Back to the evening...there was a lot of fun last night, all the way around I went over with my BFF's Dita and Blanche, and Blanche's boyfriend Milton. The whole gang from bowling was there: Tim, Sean and Ken, Eric and Rick, Steve and Jim, JC, Al, Gary, Sal, Leo and Sean, and my longtime friend Margaret showed up with her boyfriend Mems (?). Anthony, who I dated briefly over the winter, was also there.
I did get to dance, though not as much as I would have liked. We stayed on at the Ice Palace longer than usual. I think it's because of all the women that hang out at Cherry's (many of my fellow bowling buddies stay as far away from lesbians as they can), which I totally understand, but still Cherry's is much more of a place to dance than the Ice Palace. So for several hours all of us hung out together, going from person to person and generally having a good time.
So that was that! What started out as a good weekend ended up not so bed. I'm so happy that summer is finally almost here, and I look forward to having one of the best ever. So here's to my friends, new and old, and may we continue to have good times together!
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