I got one this evening, unexpectedly. A kiss that is.
I went over to Melanie and Eric’s ranch to talk about building a three-system compost bin. Our other friends, Megan (from the U.S.), her Chilean husband David and their baby Matilda are living at the ranch now as well.
Melanie met me at the gate with a glass of wine in hand, and pointed out where some bees had migrated through their property. Eric and I sat down with composting plans while David was sanding the latest piece of furniture that he is making. Matilda was sleeping in her crib in the shade.
After we hammered out our composting design plans, the afternoon wound down into lounging in the courtyard, drinking homemade wine and watching Matilda wake up from her nap (and preventing her from doing tongue kisses with the dogs through the mesh of her playpen).
Melanie whipped up an amazing curry stir-fry dinner.
As we were leaving, David was giving me a hug goodbye and kissed me on the cheek.
There is something so special when a straight man kisses me on the cheek.
It is different when a bi-curious man kisses a pretty young guy. Kind of like, “Yeah, I’m straight but if I were gay I could so hit that!” But this is very different, when a young straight man kisses a middle-aged gay man spontaneously.
And I don’t think that it is a cultural thing. Maybe in David’s case, being Chilean. But my first such kiss here in Mexico was from a straight young American from Chicago. And I’ve gotten one from the father of my Mexican godchild as well.
It catches me off guard. I feel like, “Wow, I should have kissed them back!” But I’m usually so surprised that I’m clumsy.
Thank you though; to this generation of straight young men who are so unabashed in their show of genuine, spontaneous affection. And so unaffected by the gay – straight stigma. It warms my heart and reaffirms why I live here.
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2 comments:
I soooooooooo need a copy of your compost plans! I'm trying to come up with a design myself so I don't have to buy one. We have a kitchen counter-top compost bin but nowhere to empty out in the yard yet!
With my sons and their friends, I see a dropping away of prejudice and tension between the sexes that I never thought I'd see. My middle son's favorite sleepover guests are a male friend and a sweet girl and they all sleep together in a pile of sleeping bags on the lawn or in the house. It doesn't seem to occur to them that friends have to be the same sex and that guys don't snuggle. They make me glad and envious.
BTW, Chip, Garberville voted in as citizen of the year a wonerful transgender woman. You might remember her. She was Dennis Totten, a few years older than us and a friend of my family's. The mores of society are changing for the better.
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