Never Too Late by northie

[Former Member]

Well. I doubt he’ll have an embarrassingly visible physical reaction!
;–)

[Timothy M.]

56 minutes ago, northie said:

Tomorrow, Eric has his first social encounter with a woman for many a long year. How do you think he'll do?

I'm delighted you don't consider the incidents with the nosy neighbor as social interaction. Harassment by a fiend is what I would call those situations.  

Edited May 16, 2019 by Timothy M.

[northie]

1 hour ago, Timothy M. said:

Harassment by a fiend is what I would call those situations

Err... I wouldn't quite put it like that.   I suppose I was thinking of a formal situation, not meeting in the street.  

[northie]

There'll be another Eric chapter this Friday as the Soul Music finale isn't ready. Eric gets back home finally.   

[northie]

Back to writing Eric after the conclusion of Soul Music. I think there'll be another three chapters for me to do, making 19 in total. After which, freedom...     

[Timothy M.]

Freedom to do what? Start another story ?  

[Former Member]

26 minutes ago, Timothy M. said:

Freedom to do what? Start another story ?  

An anthology story or two! (And maybe start plotting out next year’s two continuations?)
;–)

[northie]

51 minutes ago, Timothy M. said:

Freedom to do what? Start another story ?  

I've already got an idea for the next antho (based around my Pride story from last year). At least one more Night Thought. And some of the flash pieces for my external blog A Pencil Is Best need (or deserve) more work. At least one should form the basis for longer pieces, possibly the next long-term story. We'll see.

[northie]

28 minutes ago, droughtquake said:

An anthology story or two! (And maybe start plotting out next year’s two continuations?)
;–)

I'll have to start writing the third volume of Eric at least from September to stand some chance of starting to post the following autumn. 

[Former Member]

31 minutes ago, northie said:

I'll have to start writing the third volume of Eric at least from September to stand some chance of starting to post the following autumn. 

A year in gestation? That’s like an elephant!
;–)

[northie]

3 minutes ago, droughtquake said:

A year in gestation? That’s like an elephant!
;–)

I do have a job, my hobbies, and life in general ....      As well as other writing.

[Former Member]

Life? Life? But what about Eric’s life? You’re abandoning him for an entire year! He barely moved back into his cottage! What if he slips and falls again?
;–)

[northie]

9 minutes ago, droughtquake said:

But what about Eric’s life?

     

[northie]

I wonder if Eric will come across this article and wish he lived in a city? https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/ian-mckellen-launches-programme-pride-in-ageing/#gs.gpclf0

New chapter tomorrow - a solo expedition!   

[Former Member]

1 hour ago, northie said:

I wonder if Eric will come across this article and wish he lived in a city? 

Well, you would know!
;–)

I don’t think he’d like living in a city even if Sir Ian was included.
;–)

[northie]

For anyone perplexed by last week's offering  a more normal service will be resumed on Friday with Eric's next chapter. Even this though, is a little out of the ordinary. I'll leave you to discover how... 

Edited June 19, 2019 by northie

[northie]

Debating whether to post the next chapter this coming Friday. Probably depends on whether I can get it edited in time. I'll try; so don't be surprised if you see a chapter around the usual time. 

[Former Member]

10 hours ago, northie said:

Debating whether to post the next chapter this coming Friday. Probably depends on whether I can get it edited in time. I'll try; so don't be surprised if you see a chapter around the usual time. 

I’m still busy with Frameline, so if there’s a delay this week, it works for me!
;–)

[northie]

Decided not to post a chapter today - the weather's far too nice to be stuck indoors. So from next Friday, the remaining episodes will appear weekly.

[northie]

Given the way the story line's going, I thought this video I discovered earlier was perfect. Not that Eric's going to be in the parade...  

Here it is.

 

Edited July 2, 2019 by northie

[Former Member]

Generally, the LGBTQ+s who live in San Francisco came to the Bay Area to escape their close-minded hometowns. Most of us are the ones who were compelled to find others who were like us. A relative few of us are too afraid to venture out to a Pride Parade.

The San Francisco Bay Area was the northwestern frontier of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and became the northwestern frontier of Mexico until the region was illegally stolen by the US. San Francisco has been a Mecca for those who were different beginning with the 1849 California Gold Rush. San Francisco was a major discharge city for soldiers, sailors, and marines who served in WWII. San Francisco was a center of Free Love and Hippie culture in the Sixties. Riots against harassment of LGBTQ+s by the police and other authorities occurred in Los Angeles and San Francisco several years before Stonewall!

San Francisco has gone through periods of intolerance in the past (most often anti-Asian sentiment). But, in general, the Bay Area has been more welcoming to differences than most parts of California or the US throughout its history. But the biggest challenge today is to maintain that welcome even with the distorting effect of all the recent IPO wealth.

[Former Member]

A few weeks ago, there was a controversy in our Dublin over the proposed flying of the Rainbow Flag over City Hall. The City Council  initially voted the proposal down with most speakers opposing the flag with wildly homophobic comments. The Councilperson who introduced the resolution is Dublin’s first Openly Gay Councilman.

This brought a series of highly critical news reports over several evenings. A city on the opposite end of Alameda County, Emeryville (home of Pixar) said they’d fly two flags over their City Hall: one for their residents and one for the residents of Dublin. The Openly Gay Mayor of Emeryville and the Mayor of Dublin had an enlightening conversation about the issue.

Dublin held a second vote and decided to go ahead with flying the Rainbow Flag.
 

2020 Presidential candidate, Congressman Eric Swalwell is a former Dublin City Councilmember.

I used the controversy as an excuse to ask my County Supervisor why he stopped displaying the Rainbow Flag in his district office several years ago. He promised to order a new flag and have it placed on the flag pole over his office. I was thrilled to see it flying the next time I rode by his office!
;–) 

[northie]

On 7/2/2019 at 11:19 PM, droughtquake said:

Dublin held a second vote and decided to go ahead with flying the Rainbow Flag.

At least they were open to conversations. Many people aren't.

[northie]

A reminder there'll be another chapter this Friday. Eric's birthday meal.    Only four more chapters to go...  

[northie]

It'll be Eric's birthday later today.  🎂🎂 🎈🎈