An Opportunity to Grow
This Sunday's journeys: An Opportunity to Grow | Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass | Natural Care for Skin and Hair | ‘Paris Is Burning’ Emcee Junior LaBeija on ‘Pose,’ RuPaul and Why He Never Let Hollywood Tell
High Five, It’s Sunday!
Grab a drink, turn on the speaker, and settle in, we’re going on a stroll.
🔊 Zone In: Floating Points & Four Tet’s Final Plastic People
01 - An Opportunity to Grow
It’s Eddie’s first time on Fire Island. He’d lived in NY for 20 years and heard about the island many times, but only now decided to try and check it out for himself. He’s had a stressful year at work (on top of everything else), and he wanted to come out here and get away from it all.
Fire Island is what you make of it, we tell him. Sure, there’s the parties and sex and drinking and dancing - which is the notorious reputation of this island. But there’s also a long, beautiful beach, quiet and solitude, nature and people of all ages and backgrounds. It’ll be easier to navigate if you had a good idea of what kind of experience you want to have out here, and commit to it.
We had a house dinner late on Friday evening, and Eddie wasn’t sure what he wanted to do tonight. “The beach towns I used to go to in France are so much calmer. Anywhere I go here I get this ‘edgy’ feeling from everyone around me”.
We all know what he means. Shy looks on the boardwalks, nervousness around casual conversations, a smile from a passerby. In this almost-exclusively gay community, every gaze and word can be considered an invitation.
Earlier that evening Eddie checked out Tea at the local outdoor bar: the traditional “happy hour”. This year it seems busier than ever. Everyone’s ready to socialize, see, and be seen.
“There were 600 guys there, but none of them was my boyfriend”
“Wait, you have a boyfriend?”
“No, but I wanted to find one there”
“Ah… Well, could this be where the edginess you were feeling around you was coming from?"
He stared back at me, blinked, and went back to his plate.
Eddie has a choice to make, and it isn’t about which way to steer the wheel. It’s about whether he wants to grab that wheel to start with, or just keep trying to hold on while the rips are pulling him any which way.
When was a time you had the chance to grab the wheel and steer it? Did you take it?
Yesterday was a cloudy day out here, and Eddie chose to stay in his room most day. I don’t know yet what he decided about the rest of his week out here, but this morning he got up early and already took a long walk on the beach, and just came back to grab a bite before heading out there for the day. I can’t wait to hear about the rest of his day later tonight.
Until next week,
- Disco
02 - Tour the Country by Train for $299 With Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass
Michelle Baran on AFAR
I don’t know what my next adventure after Fire Island will be, so I’m definitely going to consider this offer…
03 - Natural Care for Skin and Hair
Natasha Kubis for Sofia Magazine
Natasha was an acupuncturist I worked with in Brooklyn, before she moved away to Asheville, NC. Check out her advice on all-natural, simple and affordable skin and hair care.
04 - ‘Paris Is Burning’ Emcee Junior LaBeija on ‘Pose,’ RuPaul and Why He Never Let Hollywood Tell His Story
Seth Abramovich on The Hollywood Reporter
Happy Pride! The gay ball culture is being celebrated more and more in popular media, but all this attention started with the 1990 Paris is Burning documentary, where Junior Labeija is one of the main subjects. Read in this interview his take on representation.
🌳 That's all for today.
Hey, I also saw that Amtrak deal. Soooo tempting. Glad you made it to the island. Hoping out paths cross in some cool place soon. Enjoy the beach. Beware the wheel!
That Amtrak deal is pretty cool! With the routes from Birmingham were more connected. I'm thinking about it! Thanks for the tip.