Becoming a Gay Adult

And we're back in the workforce. As an HR Manager, it's a whole new world. There is so much to manage at once, and as a new HR Manager, I have to find my rhythm in asking questions, making decisions, prioritizing, taking actions, pacing, rest... There's so much to do. It's very similar to swimming in the Long Island Sound, which I did yesterday during the Jarden Westchester Triathlon. It's amazing how intimidating something can be, and yet if you train hard for it, and show up, amazing things happen. I was fairly peaceful, even though two years ago this 0.9 mile swim would have been a crazy impossible thing for me to do. Gently, over time, with lots of help, I got to yesterday at 7:24am. When the horn sounded, I stepped into the water with some confidence, some fear, and a decision to do this well. And I had moments when I felt lost, and WAS lost, and I recalibrated. There were times I swam alongside others, and I noticed it was easier to make a go of it. So it ...

I'm a big fan of time off. There's an hour or two or maybe time when we sleep. If practical or if needed just once in a while, turn the electronics off. Give your mind a time to be quiet. Loved the NY Times take on this-- http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/fashion/step-away-from-the-phone.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0&adxnnl=1&ref=general&src=me&adxnnlx=1379881290-MOJ9w6ZSpUGlyaiSgr5oLw Take a weekend, or a treasured holiday time. Again, give the body time to recharge and engage with the people, connect with the places, learn from the things that fuel your passion. But I've discovered the value in some time off in between gigs. I'm thinking of a couple months of sabbatical each five years or so, to recalibrate my career engine. Creative folks often have this naturally between plays, movies or television shows, whether they are in front of the camera or supporting the production. It is often a time of nervous frantic grasping for the next gig as a perso...

Maybe I thought things would happen faster than they are happening. I've honestly thought about packing it all in and going home. Except for one tricky thing--where's home? The parental unit disavowed me around the whole gay thing a long time ago. My brother is just setting up his home. And on some level, I'm learning I still have so much work left to do to create my own home--a truly solid sense of identity. This "sabbatical" is forming it more wholly and it's amazing to watch it unfold. And there are some nibbles now around ways I could potentially earn again and support myself, so that bodes some hope to stay put and build home here and now for myself. Finally. On some level, success was a way to prove to my father that I'd made it. It's dawning that a more interesting route is to mine the authentic me, to build my own home base, find my true tribe of brothers (in addition to the awesome live one I have) and go forth from there. Rudimentar...