One Carry On, Please

My very good friends,  invited my husband and I, to accompany them on a trip to Quito, Ecuador to visit their relatives.  I am so excited about visiting South America. It will be a first. Now, there is one big obstacle, albeit  not impossible to hurdle. That is for most people. However, it has become a huge problem for me.

Many of you do not know me, but if you did, you would know two things about me. The first is I have a heavy foot on the accelerator.  The second is I always pack heavy suitcases. At least two big ones and a hang up one for a long weekend at The Atlantis in the Bahamas. This is an aside, but one year, we went on a cruise, with two other bestie friends, to Europe. It was a seven day cruise.  Between the four of us we had soooooooo much luggage it was necessary to have an extra car just for the luggage. Are you beginning to see where this is going??

Well, for the last two weeks, I have been tracking  the weather in Quito to make sure I pack the correct clothing. After rummaging through my closet, drawers, and clothes basket I came up with what I thought was just the right amount of clothes for seven days. You can be the judge if that. Here goes:  four pants, eight tops and shirts, two long skirts, four evening tops, two pashminas, one long-sleeve sweater (for chilly evenings), bathing suit, robe, sun hat, three nightgowns, eight matching sets of lingerie, two pair of sandals, two pair of dress shoes, one pair of Puma's, three handbags, toiletries and most importantly, a rather large cosmetic bag full of various and assundry essential Cover ups guaranteed to hide every wrinkle and crevice. I think that covers everything. Now, there is a pun on words. No big deal, right,  except for one minor issue.  How will it all fit into ONE CARRY ON BAG????

A WEDDING OUT IN THE OPEN FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE

September 3, 2014

Dear Friends,

Recently, I was asked by my two adopted sons if my husband and I would walk them up the aisle.  Of course, we were delighted and honored.  The wedding took place on August 23rd.  Although, it rained it did not put a damper on the celebrations.  Dino and Michael wanted to have their marriage legalized in their home state of Pennsylvania.  In lieu of wedding gifts they invited people to make a donation to the Human Rights Campaign who still are working tirelessly to make sure ALL LOVING COUPLES ARE TREATED EQUALLY!

In keeping with the theme of the wedding I was asked to write about the Gay Rights Movement before Dino and and Michael exchanged their wedding vows.  I wanted to share my speech with you.
 This evening we come together to be a part of history.  A history full of struggle, violence, brutality, suicides, and death.  A struggle wrought with frustration, hopelessness, disappointments, and endless promises never kept.  A struggle where thousands of young men died because no one was interested in taking on the challenges of "that homo disease called Aids."  "Hey, the heterosexuals had nothing to do with that.  I was God's way of getting rid of "those" people."  THOSE people were lawyers, doctors, bankers, authors, playwrights, choreographers, dancers, actors, poets, artists, cabaret singers, musicians, teachers, construction workers, bartenders, rich, poor, black, latino, white, young and old.
THOSE people were someone's child.  Someone's brother,  Someone's partner.  Someone's dearest friends.  AIDS like DRUGS HAD NO BOUNDARIES.

It took sixty-four arduous years for the Gay Rights Movement to get to where it is now in this year 2014.  And like labor pain when the fruits of the labor is seen the pain is forgotten and one is filled with joy, happiness, and hope.  And that brings us into the PRESENT.  THE NOW.  THE PLACE WHERE WE SHOULD ALL LIVE.

SO, what is this thing called love?  This funny thing we call love?  Well, I believe it is many things but I am going to give you the short list:
It is a quiet thing, it is the skin you love to touch, it is arms to hold you tight, it is sweet lips to kiss you goodnight, it is heaven forever more, it is letting yourself go.  IT'S DELIGHTFUL, IT'S DELECTABLE, IT'S DELIRIOUS.  To sum it up IT IS WUNDERBAR!

Birds do it, fish do it, yes even educated fleas do it.  Most of us do it, or at some point in our lives did it.  WE FALL IN LOVE.

This evening, we come together to witness a love affair, out in the open for the WHOLE WORLD to see it.  And to that I would like to invite everyone to give a resounding AMEN.

© Catherine McGough