Last Time At Woody's

So as you are well aware that it has been some time since I have gone to Woody’s on my own accord. I figured with MeTo going out of town on a conference and with my entire family wanting to see me and I missing all my friends that I would come to Philly for a short visit.

As a matter of fact I got a call from Jaz telling asking me what I was doing Wednesday, she was on her way to Philly and wanted to go to Woody’s , and with Louis coming home on Thursday I figured no than Wednesday to come home and go out with my friends.

Needles to say Jaz canceled on me, Phil had school the next day and Lou had no money. I found admission for Lou and so he was going to come. So there it was going to me, Jay, Lou and most likely Tia. I had not sent her a text as I expected Jay to tell her. And I was right the two of them picked me up from 30th street station around 10:30 and it was off to the club, then to my surprise jay says, “ Oh my god I forgot Phil.” I was thrilled Phil was going to come, it was a night with all my best friends minus RJ.

After picking up Phil we drove back to the parking lot and to our surprise Ramon and his roommate Jeff we standing outside with a couple of their friends. We chatted for a bit, I really had no interest in reconnecting as Ramon was a guy who toyed with my heart then called me a friend but would not keep in touch.  So we were off to the club.

It was nice similar old times flashed before my mind’s eye and I soaked in the nostalgia. When we got in I was shocked to find admission to the bar was free but to get onto the dance floor went from a two dollar bar minimum, to five dollars. I had promised Lou that if he found the funds to get there I would pay for him so I was now down 10 dollars. One would think with a price increase that it would be better than before but it had gotten a lot worse, you were no longer allowed to dance on the speaker boxes, the go-go dancers were gone and the DJ was horrible,  So not worth five per 21 year old and 10 for the minors.

We made the best of it, Lou, Phil and I got tired of just standing around so we went to the dance floor to make the most of it and for about an hour we danced to fairly good music. Then we bumped into Zack again and I chatted with his little boy toy.  

The rest of the night just went on until the DJ stopped everything 6 minutes early. We left the club and went through the bar to go outside. And I smoked my last cigarette and made Tia and Phil to promise to support me in this. They vowed to not let me smoke around them and in the event I am caught with a cigg in my hand they would take it. September 3 would be the day of my last cigarette for life.

Jay dropped everyone off and I walked into my mom’s dark house where everyone was sleeping. While I missed MeTo it was good to be back in Philadelphia the one place that no matter what would always be my home.

Romantic Evening MeTo Style

Last Sunday MeTo wanted to do something special and something special we did. With me having just lost my car and a Saturday of being really depressed he wanted to get me and us out of the house. He mentioned this middle eastern place in New Brunswick and today he figured was as good a day as any to take us there.

So we got showered and dressed and I even put on makeup to just make it all the more special.  We both were quite pleased with our outfits and for good reason. I was completely turned on by him, to the point where all I could say was wow. He wore his new jeans that he recently bought to expand his wardrobe, a tight burgundy shirt that displayed his mussels very well and the tan blazer I picked out for him.  He looked amazing.

We walked to the restaurant and talked about everything that was on our minds, mostly about how much we loved each other and turn each other on.  With each day causing me to love him more than the last I was at the point of being madly in love with him. He remains the most charming and giving person I know.
We got to the restaurant and was seated outside. It was a lovely day and the place although small was just as charming. Our waitress was one of those sweet innocent smart types. The kind of waitress that one would hope to get everywhere they go. I gazed into MeTo’s eyes as I sipped on my seltzer and lime, trying to figure out what I wanted. The food from the other tables enlarged my eyes and the aromas played a symphony for my nose. My stomach felt reassured that no matter what I got I was going to eat well.

With time and the waitress’ help I decided I would have the hummus and seasoned ground beef, while MeTo had the gyro platter. We had stuffed grape leaves for our appetizer and both ordered house salads. With everything being well priced we decided to stay for coffee and desert as well. The baklava was not all that great but MeTo, the connoisseur he is, was quite pleased with the coffee.

Sure there we a few things that could have ruined the night like my getting makeup on my shirt collar, or spilling my creamer. But I was with the man of my dreams and he was providing a perfect night. It was one of those dates were no matter what goes wrong there is just way to much going right. I was on cloud nine with him and we walked back talking about religion and how much we love each other.

When we got home he had to do some quick work for school and I took the time to clean and put away a few things. He was quite happy to find that the last cardboard moving box was gone. With a few nick knacks placed well around the apartment, it now looked even more like a home.

When his work was done we sat on the couch and had drinks and chatted. Before I knew it I was lip locked and pulling him into the bedroom. The amazing night ended with the proper fireworks.

We All Have our Violet Days

Victor S Bethea II

The previous blog, while every word is true, is what I like to call one that was written in a violet moment, a dark point in my life. Since that posting I have done a lot of thinking and talked with MeTo about it.

I noticed that it may come off that I am not happy with the fact that I came out of the closet and I am not happy with the person that I am. This is not the case, while I have many regrets in my past me coming out of the closet is not one of them. It is true that I never wanted to be gay, who would honestly chose a life where an extremely conservative Christian family would persecute you. Who would choose a life where one could never look forward to having a big happy wedding like his friends and other family member? Who would honestly choose a life where he runs the risk of being attacked in the neighborhood where he grew up because he is not like the guys he grew up with? This is not a life that people wake up and choose its one that people wake up and are forced to accept.

I explained before that before I came out of the closet it was years of fasting and praying that God would change my sexual desires and it was after this extreme time that I had to accept myself for who I am. It hurts that my main spiritual leader fails to see or even try to see things from my perspective.

When I came out of the closet I had nothing anymore, I had to begin reevaluating everything in my life, from my religion and family values, to what I wanted to do with my life and the type of people I wanted in it. You would think having a boyfriend at such a time would make things better but mine made things worse. He showed me the path of a stereotypical gay man. He smoked round the clock, drank round the clock, used marijuana every chance he had, spent his free time clubbing and out in bars. He was the only gay friend I had as mf friend Anthony abandoned me right before I came out.  

I needed someone so I stayed with my boyfriend got his advice and allowed him to help me block out the pain. I began smoking cigarettes, and drinking more than I would have liked to. He would tell me this is gay life smoking drinking a clubbing and when your gay 25 is middle age. I began to understand the fear that my mother had about gay life not including her religious views. It was a new strange would for me and I had only one tour guide and after 5 weeks I was abandoned yet again because I failed to fit any kind of stereotype.

I began a search on a4a to make new friends and maybe find a boyfriend and one friend and I began going to Woody’s. I was loving it on Friday nights meant dancing half dressed on a speaker box I was in the gay scene but I was free to become the gay man I wanted to become. I had no one telling me this is how it is and you’re supposed to think and do this. It was my choice to drink and to get drunk. It was a time in my life that was all about having fun, and that’s just what I did. With my friends at work supporting me and encouraging me not to change, and vowed to myself that while I am gay I will be the victor I was when I was straight.   

Shortly after Mr. M and I were done I was invited to a birthday party by my friend Erica. Her friend Jayson was having a birthday party and it gave me a chance to where my all white as it was a white party.

The party was nice but the after party was even better despite the guy I was eyeing all night was not going to the club. One might find it odd but it was at the club that I got to know the birthday boy. We had met twice before but this was the first time that I had a chance to really get to know him. Our friend Erica wanted us to date but it’s a good thing we didn’t because less than two weeks later we were hanging out again, and then again, and before we knew it we were introducing each other as best friend.

While Jayson was a heavy smoker and sometimes drank a lot during parties, he never defined what being gay was, yet he showed me how to be gay. I felt like I was capable of being who I was before, I could keep my morals and have fun. He was the kind of person that spoke his mind and made it clear that this is how HE thought and if any one disagreed they could speak up and it would be welcomed. I meet many people through Jay and of all the friends that I ever made in life I never regretted befriending him.

We had so much in common we liked diverse crowds and to dance on the speaker box at Woody’s. We even had a thing for white guys.

By the time of my 22nd birthday I had such a great view of the gay world, I had seen the good the bad all that it had to offer and at 22 I was a better person than I had been at 21. I was out and happy, I had a new respect for life and the people in it. I knew my support base and I knew where to go to have a good time. I was a better rounded person. The only problem was I allowed someone to stay in my life that I should have let go of, Mr. M. I dealt with that the best I knew at the time but due to my lack trust in the world and even those closest to me I kept my true feelings towards him a secret and would cast him in the best light at all times.

But a year after being 22 he is no longer a part of my life. I do wish the decision had been mine but all in all no matter if you walk or run you still going over the bridge.  Now that I am 23 I have found a man who loves me and encourages me to be who I am along with my friends.

While I may not be working, or have a car I still have all the love I fought for over the years and if I didn't come out I would still be living at home with next to no friends and most likely with no job and losing my care. So there you have it my reason for being proud of who I am and coming out. Yes in dark times I think about how life is unfair and how things might be if I were straight, what depressed gay person doesn't? All I know is over the past two years I have experiences that shaped me into an undeniably better person and made for some interesting reading on my blog.