Geron Kees

Oh...I am not going there. Nope. I am not!

Being a teen was not wonderful for everyone, I know. My teen years were good for me, which is why I write about those times. Because the gay world is full to overflowing with stories where being a gay teen was not a pleasant thing, there does need to be some mention of the fact that, for some, it was a good time of life. I appreciate you taking the time to read, especially if you feel the subject is not one you relate to well. It does show a willingness to look beyond what you have experienced yourself, perhaps, and that is always a good thing.

Thank you!

Yeah? Bet you cut a striking figure in a suit, too! Thanks!

Firstly, I have to agree that having cameras in our phones has been a double-edged sword. On the one hand, having the ability to take pictures anywhere, at any time, has resulted in some memorable moments being caught that otherwise may have slipped on by. On the other, that same ability has resulted in a flood of junk pics, that, as you say, anyone can take, of any thing that strikes their fancy. You only need visit some of the picture-sharing sites online to see that. Or, hell, do a Google search of virtually any subject and go to images, and see how much junk comes up. Having a camera in hand delivers purpose to the act of using it. While a guy with a phone grabs shots of things on the spur of the moment, a person toting a camera often looks for the shot, and even composes it before taking it. I have always found that having a camera in hand sharpens my ability to observe - to see - and certainly to appreciate what is around me in a little more depth. I don't consider myself an artist with a camera, bit i do know a few professional photographers, and what comes out of their cameras often has very bit of the impact of the words that our best authors lay upon a page. And, lastly, saving an image of a special person, place, or thing suspends time, at least in two dimensions, and can add greatly to fond memories of wonderful moments now past.

A shame, too, as Holden had some interesting ideas. They have gone the way of the Pontiac brand, ironically. And a new El Camino would have been nice to see on the road again, too. Much more welcome to my eyes than the ubiquitous SUV, which is everywhere now.

I have a few very patient people who seem to like to read the very long things I write. I find that very special, indeed, because time is a precious commodity. So I keep trying my best to produce a good story, as I never want a reader's time to feel wasted.

I know that. Some of the other sites do.

Oh, no. I like happy endings too much not to write my own!

I am pleased that you can take three simple words and make me feel so good with them! Thank you.

I was referring to the 'GA uber alles' attitude I have occasionally seen among some people here. It is not surprising to me that they look out for the interests of the site and the people on it, but I also think that the gay community of readers and writers online does not refer to any one site exclusively. There are a number of good ones, and many other authors besides myself post on several. I would prefer that they were all on friendly terms, as they serve basically a common interest; but that does not always seem to be the way it works. And, some very good authors settle on one site and post nowhere else. If a reader is not open to variety, they will miss a lot of good stories by sticking only to one site. It would be nice if all the sites were friendly towards each other and supported a common goal, but people are not wired that way, in many cases.

I have a friend that is my beta reader and looks for typos, and after this one he wrote to me and said, "You ended it there!?! You absolute ass!" But he sent a smiley with it, too. I usually like to let guys find each other in my stories, and then see what happens. This time I decided that every reader could use his or her own imagination. That has to be just as good, if not better!

Shhh! Are we even allowed to talk about that here?

I see a lot of human technology as extensions of our physical capabilities, especially our senses. Cameras have been a way to produce both lasting memories, and art, since their inception. Using cameras really does sharpen the eye, and it can really make you think about the things you are seeing. We go through every day looking at our surroundings as a matter of course, and most people don't put a lot of thought into what they see. It means we miss a lot, that otherwise might be of interest to us. Just because Luke suspected that his grandfather was aware of his sexuality does not necessarily make it easy for Luke himself to accept that acceptance. Familial barriers count here as much as generational ones, and any individual's ability to open up to another is mounted on many different underpinnings. At sixteen, I knew my grandparents loved me, and I knew by then that my parents were pretty much aware of my interests. By extension, I figured that if they could see it, everyone could see it. That still didn't make me want to discuss it with people. I was quite happy to meander on in my own little world, comfortable in the knowledge that I did not have to discuss this with anyone but friends my own age. I was 18 or 19 before I actually talked about it with my parents, and discovered that they had known about my boyfriends since the first 'big' one at thirteen. I was the one that was a little oblivious here, not them. It all worked out in the end, so it's just kind of some very pleasant water under the bridge.

Luke pulled the wrapping paper from the box and stared at the colorful picture beneath. "A camera?" His grandfather smiled, and nodded. "Happy Birthday, son." Luke stared at the picture on the exposed box a moment longer before frowning. A camera? What am I gonna do with a camera? He looked up at his granddad, about to ask that very question...but stopped himself before the first word was spoken. The old man wore a small smile, and the delighted light in his eyes was plain to see. Luke

Luke received a wonderful new gift for his sixteenth birthday, one that changed the way the he saw the world around him. It would lead him along a different road, and a different way of thinking, and ultimately present him with the one thing he was most missing in life.

Aw. A great (and sweet) effort from one of my very favorite readers!

Ah. Yep, 'pony cars' is a term that was used first to refer to Mustangs, but then was extended to all cars in the same mold. I guess the term is still used for a certain type of car unrelated to those old ones? I can imagine some of the street racers of today are worth a bundle. Haha.' Spoiled kids' and 'college'? Isn't that kind of synonymous?

Oh. In a good way. I can live with that! Thank you!

Good friends are truly worth their weight in gold!

Haha. Well, I tend to agree, for the most part. I don't write porn, either. My only flirtation with it, mostly, has been in my Charmed series, and that is due to the exploratory nature of the character's lives at the point in time they are living. It is meant to go with a learning process and not be salacious - sex for the sake of sex. But everyone has not seen it that way!

Well...that would be telling!

Oh, these cars are worth a bundle now. I have seen Super Bees in the '68, '69', and '70 models going for as high as sixty-five thousand dollars in perfect condition. The cars cost about $3,000 new. Three thousand in 1968 dollars is equivalent to about $21,000.00 today...so these cars are selling for three times what they cost new, in real money. That's not a bad investment, if you had bought one new. I worked for three years to have enough to buy my car. My dad was a little upset with me, as it was tradition in our family for the fathers to buy the kids their first car for graduation. So when I decided to build it, he paid for a lot of that instead. Fathers live their teen years again in many ways through their teen sons. Mine enjoyed the hell out of doing it twice!

Wow! Are you marathon-reading these two stories? This one evolves several relationships, and I got some flack from other readers on it. Some people forget how aggressively teens can explore their world and their own limitations. There should be a third story in this trilogy - eventually. I never visualized at the end of this one how much other stuff I could get into in the interim! Hope you enjoy it.

Yeah, I used to kind of enjoy playing the sales game with the car people. These days I have tired of it. I just decide what I am willing to pay, and tell them to take it or leave it. About half the time they leave it, but call within two weeks time (when I do not) to say they want to talk again. So I go back and raise my offer by like a hundred bucks, and then do the same thing, and say take it or leave it. I don't try to gouge them, but I know the auto industry well, and I am not paying for any of the extra crap they want to be paid for. Cars really should have a price on them just like refrigerators and TVs (although I have found I can 'negotiate' these prices down a little, too). The whole 'game' is tiresome. I don't care about child safety seats anymore. My son is 22, and wears a seat belt, and he takes me with him when he buys his cars these days.