We Were Free

Wow this past week has been CRAZY busy! It started off with 5 days of work. Hold on now, work in my world consists of 12 hour shifts and 5 of those in a row is a little rough lol.. but it was all worth it in the end. Wednesday~Friday consisted of cleaning house, doing laundry, paying bills, keeping animals for killing each other and helping a friend in crisis move. Such a busy life for a single woman lol. Saturday is what put a perfect end to my week.


This past Saturday The Tucson Pride Board threw our first ever H2O party(yes that means water)...We rented out the pool area at a local hotel and threw the best party we could. The turn out was pretty good and from a security stand point we didn't have to many issues. We had a few alcohol related calls, and some stage equipment decide it didn't want to stand anymore but other than that, nothing yours truly and my trusted team couldn't handle =P..


At one point of the party I was standing up against a wall watching people walk around and swim in the pool and I was reminded that so many homosexual people like myself are not always accepted everywhere we go, but in that moment we were free. We were free to be ourselves. Free to hold the hands of the ones we love, free to show affection without fear of judgement. Free to swim together, bond and be who we were created to be.


I was taught when I was young that homosexuality is wrong. It was drilled into my head by the church when I "came out" in my teenage years. I have fought many times with members of my own family about my choice to live this "alternative lifestyle." Many people just like me have been shunned and even turned away by their friends and family for living this life. I can tell you now it's not one we "Chose." If you ask most homosexual people on the street they would tell you that this is not a lifestyle they would have "chosen" growing up. Sure you get to choose the clothes you wear, the career path you follow, the car you drive, where you live and so much more. Have you ever heard the saying "you can't choose who you fall in love with." Do you believe that's true? I know I do.


"Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth." ~Benjamin Disraeli



So many times in my life I have been forced to hide my feelings, forced to "understand" why the ones I love the most can't support my lifestyle. Yet I am left to sit and watch them happily live their lives because they are married to or in love with members of the opposite sex. In my life I have also been taught to keep my head up and fight for what I believe in, to stand strong and support the things most important to me.



So this past weekend standing up against that wall and walking around that pool, I was reminded that I am proud of who I am. I am proud of the person I have become. I was proud that I was such a vital part of putting that party together, because in that moment I helped to give so many people the freedom to simply be themselves. My goal has always been to enhance the life of just 1 person each day, and that day I enhanced the lives of over 100 people by simply giving them the chance to be proud to be themselves and love openly.One of my favorite quotes in life has been...


"I would rather be hated for who I am, then loved for who I'm not"~Kurt Corbain


So I encourage you, if you believe in or support something stand up for it. People may not always agree with you or stand next to you and support the same thing, but if it's important to you then it's worth standing up for. Love is unconditional. It isn't based on a color, a race or a gender. Love is an action word, based on a feeling that comes from your heart. So don't forget to remind the one you love just how much they mean to you, because you may never get another chance

Until next time.....love and peace

~amber~