Where do I start? Looking back over many years the end
result for me is that there were just as many happiest. Sorting them for this
story was the challenge and not necessarily in any order of importance—just
Happiest days as they occurred in the life and times of one who has had the
privilege of hanging around this sphere so long.
Some fifty plus years ago the happiest days were
marked by the arrival of several of our baby son and daughter. Certainly, those two gifts came along with the
trials and tribulations of all of us growing up together, but today the loving
rewards far outnumber those trials.
Which was the happiest day? The day was one of my
luckiest with the receipt of my army discharge, the little gold button
disparagingly christened the “ruptured duck” and the G. I. Bill, a gift of a
college education, and a whole new world to try and master.
In retrospect with diploma in hand I looked around and
asked my fellow classmate, “What do we do now?” that was happy in the guise of
wonder. We survived in spite of ourselves.
There was along the way a surreal wedding with an
unsuspecting (I think) college sweetheart, not to be confused with any happiest
day, but some did happen later and we actually survived to feast on the joy of
many Christmases, Halloweens, graduations, and holidays.
For all of the above perhaps these were
“semi-happiest”, but full of the excitement and comfortable routine of home and
family.
“My Happiest Day” happened when I sensed the feeling
of belonging to my true GLBTQ family and marching behind the color guard in my
first Pride Parade. Liberation abounded for me and since then I have surround
my body with a rainbow flag, kissing and hugging the members of my tribe and
even more members. Stop and think about it all, right now and see if you don’t
recall the heady exultation and joy of your first “outness”?
And the parade marches on!
© 31 October 2016
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