Looking back, my high school years were mostly okay.
Sure, there were a few bullies to contend with. I was wrestling with my sexuality and doing everything I could to keep it a secret. And there was the small matter of my father dying during my junior year.
So no, my high school experience wasn't exactly a John Hughes movie.
Even so, I didn't hate high school as much as most people seem to.
Part of that was because during my senior year I applied for and was accepted into a district-wide internship program. About thirty of the top students from across the school district were brought together to learn professional skills before being placed in what were essentially our dream jobs.
For a kid who often felt like he didn’t quite fit in, this program was a game changer.
And through it, I met Jess.
Jess is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Canadian who somehow managed to become my brother-from-another-mother almost immediately.
We met way back in 1990.
Thirty-six years ago.
That number feels impossible to type.
Over the years, life did what life does. We graduated. We moved. We built careers. We fell in love. We lost people we cared about. We moved again. We collected stories, scars, and a few gray hairs along the way.
We stayed in touch, but like many longtime friendships, there were stretches when months or even years passed between visits. The funny thing about certain friendships is that time doesn't really matter. When you reconnect, you just pick up where you left off.
I knew Jess was coming to town this month. The problem is that I forgot to put the details on my calendar. I assumed he'd text me a few days beforehand like a civilized human being.
Instead, I woke up ridiculously early this morning to a message letting me know he'd arrived safely in Long Beach last night.
Ah, straight boys.
Good thing I love this motherfucker.
And his lovely wife and kids, too.
Today, though, it’s just me and Jess. We’ll probably spend the day catching up, cussing, reminiscing, and maybe playing tourist for a few hours.
So once I hit “publish” on this piece, I’m jumping in the shower and getting my butt down to Long Beach.
Will he even be awake? Who knows.
Will he be annoyed when I show up? Possibly.
Do I care? Not even a little.
Jess and I talk more regularly these days, but it's rare that we get to spend time together in person. In fact, I haven't seen him face to face since before I disappeared into the cave back in 2021, so this reunion means a lot to me.
Jess knew me before the gray hairs. Before the career twists and turns. Before social media. Before smartphones. Before Los Angeles.
Our kind of friendship is a rare gift.
Life gets busy. People move away. We tell ourselves we'll get together "soon." Then suddenly decades have passed and everyone has a few more wrinkles and a lot more stories.
Today feels like a happy surprise.
The videos can wait. The emails can wait. The to-do lists can wait.
One of my oldest friends is in town.
And it’s about damn time we caught up in real life…about our real lives.
Keep calm and carry on!
Clint 🌈✌️
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
BORN THIS WAY ON THIS DAY
06-15 = Adah Isaacs Menken (1835-1868) = American actor, painter and poet 🌈
06-15 = Bif Naked (1971- ) = Canadian singer-songwriter and actor 🌈
06-15 = Neil Patrick Harris (1973- ) = American actor and singer 🌈
06-15 = Simon Callow (1949- ) = English actor and director 🌈
MAN CRUSH OF THE DAY
“It’s easier for me to flirt with girls now that girls know that I’m gay. It almost makes it a sexier encounter than if I was trying to pretend that I was straight.”
Neil Patrick Harris
Loved this. I am going to turn 75 this year. Many past lovers and partners are dead now, but I wish I could have just a few minutes with many of them, before I am gone. I want to tell them how much they meant to me, and the contribution they made to my life. I want to let them know I have not forgotten them.
Clint, Nice to have old friends and old friends. Fondly, Michael