Dewey

One thing that is not being taken into account here is that there is a significant difference between what James grew up with and what Codey is now experiencing. Fortunately, for the most part, being gay is not something that is thought to give others an automatic license to abuse us. In my experience during school, being gay is subject to ridicule and places one in a category slightly below earthworms, but was not something that provoked physical beatings. It simply was not discussed with any sincerity. Before leaving my small home town, I had only met two same-sex couples- both in their later years. The female couple both taught my seventh-grade core classes. The male couple were retired. My parents said they were "good friends". Anyway, experiences change as time goes on. That doesn't make my experiences, or James experiences, or Codey's experiences any less real.

I should resend them to you, Ben, if you still have the time and desire... to edit them, that is.

Always!

...to beg, er, ask for editors. Aaron does a great job of keeping me honest, but I like having more than one set of eyes on a piece of work because each editor keys in on certain facets of the writing. The person who was the real butcher of my work has been detained by real life for quite a while, and I'm at a crucial juncture in the story, so I need input. There are approximately 200 pages to be edited so far. Any takers?

This was probably me in some of the earlier chapters. :roll: I admit that when I started writing I butchered the craft as well as anyone, but I think over the last two years and some, my writing has measurably improved. Disagreements? Please??

Paraphrasing WBMS, "Not to make you feel bad, but you just don't trash me enough." :p I agree one hundred percent. My editors have been on hiatus of late, and I really miss their ability to say WTF? I'm three hundred pages into a story now, and no one has had a chance to give me what for since around page ninety. I do hope they don't want any wholesale edits when they return. :smt064 :smt072 :smt065 :smt074 :smt115 :smt084

Very good description. I like it.

For the record, I asked Dave to reconsider as well. He said he would not be returning his stories to Deweywriter. It was his decision ,and his alone to make. I don't like it, but I understand and respect his decision, and most of all I respect him as a friend. Beyond anything that has happened here or at Deweywriter, I have him as a friend, and that is what matters to me. What's more, having him as a friend does not preclude me having friendships with others who don't necessarily agree with his view. Having said this, I have been forced to remain neutral on this discussion for several reasons: Firstly, I know nothing about Bush's plan, so anything I say will be uninformed and unhelpful in any manner. Secondly, any statement I make can, and most likely will be misconstrued to say something I did not intend. I find it increasingly difficult to voice an opinion on anything because I might offend someone, so I remain silent. Lastly, there is a gap so wide between generations that I fear it may be impossible to bring the "baby boomers" and the younger generations together in anything. I have had enough of the bickering and arguing that is tearing apart this "community". Civility seems to have been removed from our capacities. I am tired of it. I have run out of patience with people who spout off when they have no knowledge of a situation. After the accusations and statements that have been made to and about me, I will be withdrawing from the net until I feel able to respond to people in a rational, courteous, civil manner, unlike those who have recently been in contact with me (of which none of them are regular posters here). Yes, I understand Dave's decision. All too well. Good day, gentlemen.

It's nice to have a site dedicated to the craft, even if it is populated by confirmed smart-asses. :roll: I hope to see you around for quite a while, Dude. 8)

Okay, I'm not one to hawk my own wares, but I would like some feedback on this piece, if you wouldn't mind too terribly. :-D Thanks. -Dewey

Oh stop it. I'm blushing :smt020

James, Thank you. I am humbled by your words, and honored that you want DeweyWriter to host your story. However, I have no say in whether or not you post your story at other sites. It is your work, and I would hold no grudge against you for posting it elsewhere, least of all here. There are some excellent people here at AwesomeDude, and most have a literary bent that doesn't exist at DeweyWriter. It may benefit you, both as a person and as a writer, to post here as well. When the time comes and you feel ready, I would be honored once again if you would join the ranks of the hosted authors in the index page at DeweyWriter. As always, the decisions are yours to make with your work. No matter what you decide, I am happy that you are finding yourself, and that I had a part to play in your journey. :)

James has a lot of potential, IMNTBHO. Give it a read if you get the chance. You don't have to join the Forums to read his work. Here is a Link.

They certainly do, and you don't dare strangle them because they might abandon you altogether. *Sigh* Such is the life....

AJ, I've already got the next one in the series written. Let me know if you really want to write the next one. I have a few suggestions.

*hangs head in shame* Sorry for hijacking the thread... I too saw the work in progress. Aaron did a great job of working with the feedback he received and then feeding me information for the next section, which should be ready by the end of the week. Way to go, lil' bro! :mrgreen: :clap: :smt038 :smt041 :smt023

Hey! I want mine too!

I admit that I have come to this thread late, and I have not had the time to read the entire thread, so if you want to blast me for something after I'm done, start there. I skimmed through some of this and have been struck by the over all tone that has developed. As GPB said, there is one things that we are struggling with. Our tribe, community, "kind" -- whatever you want to call it -- is fighting perceptions. We are perceived as perverts, molesters, predators, deviants and so on by roughly 40% of the country. We know why this is the case as well: societies rooted in "moral values" have condemned homosexual activity for whatever reasons they have to do so. Whether we like it or not, we are battling a perception that was formed some 5000 years ago in a time where being a homosexual could literally ruin a family. Why? Because 5000 years ago, everyone in the family was used as farm equipment, from herding goats and cattle to working in the fields. As people aged, the children were expected to pick up the slack so the family could continue to survive. No children equates to no new equipment, dooming the family to fail. Up until recently, perhaps even into and through World War II, this held true. It wasn't until very recently that people had to take into account the cost of having children, because in a modern urban society, children provide no "benefit" until they are legally able to work and contribute to the family by the currency they can earn. It is a very real issue. There seems to be an undercurrent in this thread, at least what I've gleaned from what I've read, of an Animal Farm-esque attitude: All (in the tribe) are created gay, but some are gayer than others. In particular, I am refering to a comment made by Tragic Rabbit. This is not meant to disparage or criticize him at all, but it does an excellent job of illustrating this: The perception is that because someone is married, that they are less worthy of engaging in or benefiting from the struggle, and that their claim of homosexuality is suspect. Why can't a person who is married be gay, or why is he less worthy, for lack of a better word? No one knows, nor can anyone know what circumstances existed that put us where we are today, in some cases even the person in question. Why question their assertion? Because we ourselves have not experienced their situation, and therefore it is not real? If that is the case, then why not question the sexuality of people who act in ways we don't, be they effeminate or straight-acting? For myself, I did not understand I was gay until I was in my late twenties. I have recently worked out why this is the case, and I won't go into it here because it isn't germaine to this particular post. In any case, I had been married for nearly four years with a child before all the pieces fell together. Should I not have a stake in what we are fighting for because of this? Should someone whose situation is so grim that they feel forced to wed against their nature have a smaller interest? My brothers, we are all the same in two very important ways: We are human, and we are gay. The circumstances of our current existence have no effect on this. We are different in two very important ways: One, because we are human and possess the infinite individualism that is implied, and two, none of us have experienced the exact same events. This is a benefit, not a detriment, because through all that variety and experience, we have the ability to work toward the equality we desire and deserve. If some person makes an accusation against us as a whole, such as all gay's are effeminate, or that all gays are after is sex, there are numerous examples to prove this is not so. One last thing before I sign off this completely out of context post: We must understand that not everyone has the same freedoms and capabilities as everyone else. Gabriel, aqnd others who work as activists, I applaud you for your dedication and courage to tackle this war head-on. For those of us who are married, however, we have families and in some cases, children we are responsible for. Should we abandon our families to fight on the front lines? Should we abdicate the responsibilities we have taken on and literally destroy the lives of four or more people? I'm not asking for a judgement from anyone since these are decisions that the individual makes according to their own heart and mind. I, for one, will stay with my family, raise my children, and do what I can within the limits of my obligations. This is all I can do and maintain my own sense of self and my own sense of honor. I respect on some level. Each of you has a unique perspective on the world. Each of you has unique circumstances in your life. It would be a mistake to assume everyone has the same options available to them. Each will do as they can given their own situation. If they choose to sit in the background, then they have their reasons, and we must respect their decision whether we agree with it or not. That's it. I'm done.

And as the red sun set in the west The lessons our typist learned best Make sure you think to times Or is that too times or two times Before committing to ink on your chest.

Codey, a very good friend and adopted brother once said to me something very much like what your father told you. If we allow it, the past can and will dictate our lives today and in the future. Learning from the past and applying those lessons to our life today is the best way live. It took me 30 years to be ready to learn that lesson, but now I have, and I'm so much happier than I used to be. (LYB! :) )

Thank you AJ. Codey, Feeling comfortable with who you are as a person, including all the facets of your being, is not something that comes naturally to most people. One cause of this, in my opinion, is that we are taught from an early age that non-conformity will prove painful, most notably through the abuse heaped upon us by our peers and adults during our formative years. In addition to this, many gay teens have religious influences that tell them their very nature is an abomination. It is little wonder that some people look at their own homosexuality with disgust and self-loathing. For myself, sexuality was not an issue growing up, but my lack of physical stature and preference for intellectual pursuits made me a target for those more socially connected or athletically inclined. I won't go into the details here, but the end result was 15 years of abuse that led to my no self-esteem. If I had been conscious of my sexuality during this period... It is hard to say what the outcome would have been.

The only way I can describe what happened for me is to liken it to a mental block of a traumatic event. My brain simply couldn't put all the evidence together. All the pieces were there, but there was nothing consciously linking them together. My mind refused to grasp the concept that I was gay until I was shocked into the realization, and when that happened, it literally made me non-functional for four days. Looking back now, I can remember events going back to the time I was eight years old, and trace a pattern through my childhood, adolescence and adult life up until the time I came out to myself. Like Aussie_GW, I consider myself gay, but I'm at the 95% mark. I love my wife, I can love my wife (if you understand the distinction), and she loves me. She knows I'm gay, and she doesn't like it. Frankly, I can't blame her. This wasn't "in the brochure" as she puts it. In spite of that, we too are trying to make our relationship work, but again, as our Aussie friend said, it is difficult at best.

Welcome from another newbie, ThirdEye. :mrgreen:

This exact thing happened to me my senior year in high school. We hosted a New Zealander girl and she asked me for a rubber. I was so confused.... :mrgreen:

I think the measurement system used, at least to me, adds a certain flavor to the story. For example, I used the metric system in Heaven's Wrath because, at least to a US audience, it still has an unfamiliar futuristic feel. This effect is probably lost on an audience outside of the US.