 I
went for a long walk at midnight. The temperature and humidity were
perfect for walking: warm enough to wear shorts, cool enough not
to break a sweat. Saint Louis is beautiful at night. Ornate
buildings and fountains line the downtown streets and are perfectly lit.
The Gateway Arch gleams above the Mississippi. Horse drawn carriages
carry late night revelers from hotels and clubs. The walk was a perfect
hour filled with beauty, free from distraction.
We left Saint Louis at noon, crossed the Mississippi and headed toward
Lafayette, Indiana. I love Illinois and Indiana. These farming
states have a unique beauty. Farm fields stretch away from the road
on either side. Small towns marked by giant water towers appear and
disappear into bits of forest. A single photograph adequately captures
the scene but not the experience.
 I
like to listen to the radio while driving. FM stations are largely
corporate, nationwide affairs and offer little local content. AM
radio offers a crackling, regional variety of odd shows and music.
Most of the AM stations lean heavily toward the right and if you can tolerate
the conservative illogical rhetoric, these stations can be entertaining.
Christian talk radio makes for both frightening and humorous entertainment.
Gay marriage has the religious folk in a tizzy. Nothing makes Christians
happier than the opportunity to judge others. It is the conservative
version of gay men judging fashion. Gay men, however, aren't in the
business of passing laws which prevent others from wearing what they choose.
(Although I'd offer a constitutional amendment to ban low-riding jeans
would not be such a bad idea.)
 Today
I learned "the homosexual lifestyle is tearing at the fabric of our nation".
Having crossed nine states in the past week, I can say with certainty the
fabric of our nation is polyester. Polyester is everywhere, stretched
tightly across bulging butts and thighs, encasing fast food workers, stitched
around our elderly. If my "lifestyle" helps tear this fabric, then
I think the Baptists, Catholics, Methodists and assorted other "ists" are
entirely correct. And we queers should continue to tear at this fabric
until every last Christian feels the comfort of cotton and the slink of
silk.
Once we are done tearing at the fabric of the nation, I propose we go
for the hair next. Spend an hour in Illinois and you'll know exactly
what I refer to.
The destination today is Lafayette, Indiana. This is where I entered
the world thirty five years ago. My family moved west when I was
less than two years old and I think I may have returned once when I was
six. I remembered nothing from those early years (except the polyester!
Oh! The pain!)
 Lafayette
is an adorable college town in rural Indiana. The town is built around
a large, ornate and wonderful courthouse. The blocks around the courthouse
are filled with well maintained, aging, brick buildings. Across the
Wabash River, Purdue University provides a constant flow of young energy.
In some cultures, mothers bury their child's placenta near the family
home. This purportedly ensures a child who wanders will always return.
I suspect my mother buried my placenta in a local cornfield. The
cornfield is now a shopping center and my placenta rests under a beauty
college. This theory explains significant pieces of my life.
Tomorrow
we head to Cleveland and the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame...
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Pierron, Illinois
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Lafayette, Indiana
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Big Tits in Lafayette, Indiana
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Lafayette, Indiana
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Ice Skating without the ice
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If you enjoy this webpage, you may also like:
Road Trip
2003
Sister
Betty's Photo Archive |
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