Sometimes moments of reflection come when we least expect
them. Maybe that’s a good thing, at
least for me, because usually my mind goes quite a ways down whichever road
before I realize where I’ve actually gone and I’m left with some substantial
thoughts to ponder.
Right now, it’s thinking about all who have helped bring me
to where I now am in my own journey. And among all the people and groups, one group stands out above all the rest:
The DC boys of Leather.
It’s through the DC boys that I went
from a very quiet novice leatherboy to the transitioning Alpha pup I am today. So many of the people I've come to know, so many of those who've walked with me or given me wisdom and courage, I met through the DC boys.
I honestly can’t fathom where I would be without the club
and, more importantly, these boys I’ve come to call – and am proud to call –
brothers. It doesn’t seem possible that I’m entering my tenth year as a member
of the DC boys, and yet it is. I was a pledge in the summer of 2003, voted in
as a brother that following November.
One of the four remaining in the first pledge class.
Yet I can still remember it clearly. I remember meeting Ky at Olympia in 2002,
soon after I met Mikey Miller and Gene.
I still blame the three of them for getting me into this! OK, they didn’t
do anything except be themselves and show me what potential could be found in
the world of leather boys. Truth is,
they opened a door for me; one that I stepped through and then barely looked
back at for awhile.
When I met all three of them at the Cigar & Brandy
social hosted by Mary Elizabeth Boyd during ABW 2003, I really felt the draw to
the DCboL. On some level I identified with the energy they displayed as club
brothers and as boys. That was when I knew I wanted to be a part of the DC boys
of Leather.
Man, I was so excited to be accepted as a pledge. Energized
as a pledge. And when I received my backpatch? I was so proud and elated to at
last be part of it. Heck, even today I’ll
look at that well-travelled club vest and remember how I felt the first time I
saw that patch on leather.
It’s been one hell of a trip since then. Mikey Miller had plans for us new members,
getting us involved to take some of the stress of the longer-serving
brothers. Plans that put us on the
E-board. Funny that it all came to
pass! In June 2004, I was elected V-P
after little more than 7 months in the club. Some on the outside said I was
fool to take that on so early. But it
began two years of an incredible team under Ky’s presidency, the first half of
an incredible four-year high, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
But there was another event in 2004 that proved just as
pivotal: I stepped in as the DC boys’ AMCC rep.
In March 2004 I attended my first AMCC meeting at a Long Island Ravens’
run. I was so scared going into
that! I hardly knew anyone there. But I
made some lasting friendships, opened doors that I didn’t realize until
later. In fact, my involvement as the
club’s AMCC rep alone has been one hell of a trip in itself!
If my 2 years as Ky’s veep were the first half of a 4-year
high, my first 2 years as DCboL president were the other half. I’ll let others judge the worth and impact of
those 2 year (as well as the 3rd). I know the friendships and
community relationships I forged during those years contributed to my growth in
ways I’m still realizing. For me, they were fun, filled with challenges and,
more importantly, countless opportunities to meet the people who make our
leather tribe the diverse and vital family it really is. I gave the best I had
to offer as president, but I think I gained even more.
Of course, I also know now that those few times I thought I
had the brothers convinced I knew what I was doing, they were just smiling and
thinking, “Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure!” I
recall that when I was re-elected for the 2nd year, I thanked them
for trusting me even if I didn’t always trust myself. Sometimes I wondered why they did at all. But
I know now that, by doing so, they lifted me up to where I needed to be.
When I think on that, I see that all the nods of appreciation,
the awards and honors – while I value each and every one of them – pale in comparison
to the knowledge that my brothers trusted me and had my back every step of the
way.
I’m lucky that I’ve never been at odds with any of my club
brothers over these last 9 years. I’ve
shared laughs and fun with all them. I’ve
been a shoulder for many to cry on, and I’ve cried on more than one. I miss so
many that have come and gone – and those we’ve lost. They are my friends, my brothers, and, in ways I can't fully describe, my family
“Thank you” doesn’t seem nearly enough to express how
grateful I am for all you’ve given me. Being with you is the adventure of a lifetime, and one that I wouldn't trade for anything. I’m
still proud of that backpatch, but that’s nothing compared to being able to point at
any of you wearing it and saying “You’re my brother.”
No comments:
Post a Comment