Sometimes you can meet people on the internet. And sometimes those people can impact you in ways you never expected.
I was introduced to Mark on Grindr.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“You looking?”
“Might be, depends.”
“On what?”
“On what I find.”
“You found me.”
“No, you found me.”
“Oh, not your type?”
“What type are you?”
“21, 6’4″, 240 pounds.”
“Big boy, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t usually date guys over 6’1″.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m 6’1″.”
“Oh. So, no?”
“No. Not necessarily. You’re young in comparison.”
“In comparison to what?”
“To me, We’re a lifetime apart.”
“That’s what I want.”
“What’s that?”
“Your lifetime. Your wisdom. I can’t wait to get where you are.”
“Don’t wish your life away.”
“I’m not wishing it away. I’m giving it away.”
“You shouldn’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because my life is my life. Your life is yours. They’re not the same.”
“I’m afraid.”
“Of what? Your life? Are you kidding?”
“Don’t make fun of me.”
“I’m sorry. I was afraid of my life when I was 21.”
“Really?”
“Are you kidding? Everyone your age is afraid of life.”
“Are you?”
“Not any more. There’s not much more that can hurt me now.”
“How come?”
“Because everything I thought would hurt me has hurt me. Those skeletons and stories and lovers are behind me. I’m an amalgamation of my life.”
“Can’t you just give me some?”
“Listen baby, they won’t fit; they’re the wrong size.”
The snow which fell in Charlotte inspired me. Children of the south celebrating a snow day and running sleds down the lowest of hills inspire me. Cardinals and wrens landing on pine boughs covered with light snow causing a puff beneath their feet.
It’s snowing in Charlotte this morning. While not a blizzard, Charlotte’s citizens treat it as one. For me it signifies the start of winter. Winter is the one season that I don’t miss. What I do miss is that first snowfall. Which fell this morning in Charlotte.
across the schoolyard on my way to Weinlien’s to buy a gallon of milk, and it was snowing lightly, flurries is what we called them, and I ran freely catching these molted angel feathers on my tongue.
landed atop frozen rain causing gross miscalculations of body weight plus snow gear plus sled divided by depth of ice and pitch of schoolyard, resulting in my one out-of-control run sending me speeding into a fence which opened at the bottom and out I flew like a nylon torpedo onto the sidewalk three feet below.
A few nights ago an interesting thing landed in Charlotte; more specifically in my mind. A large writers bLocK dropped squarely between my imagination and inspiration.
leave, you won’t have your writer’s bLocK. That’ll be better for you, won’t it?” he asked.
strength of the rope that binds us together. How about if we give ourselves enough time to have an argument. To see where we go, or where we run to, when things aren’t as rosy as they are now. Let’s give us that time together.”
The insides of your lips are are as velveteen as rose petals.
and the bass: teasing, leading, and caught; nipped and gnawed; throaty growls and surprising moans; sweaty and panting; and my favorite . . .
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 