Our acts have more impact on others than we may think...
A good friend of mine told me this story recently and I thought I would share it with you. This is a true story but I changed the names.
'About 3 years ago I ran into an old friend from LA, Pierre. We had lost contact nearly 20 years earlier when he was really running in the fast lane -- drugs, wild orgies, keeping company with the super rich.
You see, when we met, he was this very, very hot 17 year old French Canadian who had kind of run away from home in Montreal because of his father's disapproval of his "life style" -- a.k.a. gayness.
Soon after our first meeting he was having and being had by everyone in the "Hollywood 100".
For some reason I ended up being his safe haven: He really needed someone he could go to when he was thrown out on his ear--a constant occurrence.
Someone who would take care of him and not just use him for sex.
I can still remember many nights with him in my bed using every ounce of will power I had to JUST sleep with him. Of course, he was still a kid and didn't fully appreciate what I was doing for him, or did he?
Fast forward to my seeing him in a Montreal bar from across the room about 27 years later! I wasn't even sure it was him till I approached him and he instantly recognized me. He dragged me over to introduce me to his partner of 17 years, Jacques.
To my surprise, Jacques' first words were; "Is this THE Michael?".
I was so flattered to think that I'd made such an impression on him that all those years later he had spoken of me so often that to his lover I was "THE Michael". Well, the renewal of our friendship has been a fantastic success. It's now been 30 years and I'm here to tell you dealing with a 47 y/o is a hell of a lot easier than a 17 y/o. I was delighted to find that I really loved his partner. Pierre is such a bright, kind and interesting guy.'
When I was 21 myself I met the first love of my life. He was in his forties. He really taught me a lot about being Gay and happy and to accept myself as I was. His love was unconditional and he gave me confidence in myself more than anyone else before or after. When I objected to him being so kind (he would lavish me with presents and more attention than I felt I deserved) he would always answer:
'One day when you yourself are 40 years old it will be your turn to help a young gay guy.'
Think about this: of all the minorities, Homosexuals are the only ones who usually don't have parents to relate to. A young Black man or woman who has had a racist experience at school can always go to his family and be comforted. A young Jewish man or woman who has questions about what it means to be Jewish in a mainly Christian society can always listen to his elders for advice. to whom can a young gay man or woman turn to when he or she is 17 or 20 and does not know how to deal with his or her sexuality, his or her fears, with other people's looks? ....
'About 3 years ago I ran into an old friend from LA, Pierre. We had lost contact nearly 20 years earlier when he was really running in the fast lane -- drugs, wild orgies, keeping company with the super rich.
You see, when we met, he was this very, very hot 17 year old French Canadian who had kind of run away from home in Montreal because of his father's disapproval of his "life style" -- a.k.a. gayness.
Soon after our first meeting he was having and being had by everyone in the "Hollywood 100".
For some reason I ended up being his safe haven: He really needed someone he could go to when he was thrown out on his ear--a constant occurrence.
Someone who would take care of him and not just use him for sex.
I can still remember many nights with him in my bed using every ounce of will power I had to JUST sleep with him. Of course, he was still a kid and didn't fully appreciate what I was doing for him, or did he?
Fast forward to my seeing him in a Montreal bar from across the room about 27 years later! I wasn't even sure it was him till I approached him and he instantly recognized me. He dragged me over to introduce me to his partner of 17 years, Jacques.
To my surprise, Jacques' first words were; "Is this THE Michael?".
I was so flattered to think that I'd made such an impression on him that all those years later he had spoken of me so often that to his lover I was "THE Michael". Well, the renewal of our friendship has been a fantastic success. It's now been 30 years and I'm here to tell you dealing with a 47 y/o is a hell of a lot easier than a 17 y/o. I was delighted to find that I really loved his partner. Pierre is such a bright, kind and interesting guy.'
When I was 21 myself I met the first love of my life. He was in his forties. He really taught me a lot about being Gay and happy and to accept myself as I was. His love was unconditional and he gave me confidence in myself more than anyone else before or after. When I objected to him being so kind (he would lavish me with presents and more attention than I felt I deserved) he would always answer:
'One day when you yourself are 40 years old it will be your turn to help a young gay guy.'
Think about this: of all the minorities, Homosexuals are the only ones who usually don't have parents to relate to. A young Black man or woman who has had a racist experience at school can always go to his family and be comforted. A young Jewish man or woman who has questions about what it means to be Jewish in a mainly Christian society can always listen to his elders for advice. to whom can a young gay man or woman turn to when he or she is 17 or 20 and does not know how to deal with his or her sexuality, his or her fears, with other people's looks? ....
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