Thank You, Truman Capote

Last week I put together a piece for “The Spectrum” - RainbowVision Santa Fe’s community newsletter. The piece was about Truman Capote, who we have honored by naming the library for. His spirit must have been demanding recognition, because suddenly everything Capote surrounded me.

First, I found a book about him in the room I was staying in. It consisted of interviews of people who knew him, peppered with interviews by the author of Capote as well. Then, I found a history of Hollywood’s nightclubs and restaurants, starting with its advent about 1915. Any book like that would have to eventually include Capote, since he was a well know figure in LA and NYC, particularly in places that served alcohol.

But the event that brings it to the EERIE level is the film on TCM, which I happened to have on, at some odd hour of the day I never watch TV. There was Truman Capote himself, in a ridiculous murder mystery farce that include stars like Dom Deluise, Peter Falk and Maggie Smith. Truman Capote was strange and wonderful, brilliant and terrible, and above all, never hid his sexual orientation. His bravery gave heart to many of us to accept ourselves, and to be out. At least, I know he did that for me. Truman, I miss seeing you on those TV Talk shows, and thank you, for your brilliance.

End of the Summer

End of the summer. In a way, I use this time as a "new year" as I do what I look forward to being an annual health retreat . Out here in Desert Hot Springs, I have been "forced" to slow down in temperatures of 117 plus. Maybe its all those years of schools with their September start. This time, I am adjusting my attitude to one of gratitude. I haven't watched the news for a week and it has helped a lot, although I do know about Ted Kennedy's passing, Images of what is wrong with everything over and over hasn't been helpful to my maintaining a positive vision of the world and our future, thereby making my effort to do so much more labor intensive.

So let me start by saying that among the many things I have to be grateful for, the arrival of the Members of the Lesbian and Gay Aging Issues Network Leadership Council from American Society On Aging to RainbowVision Santa Fe is extremely exciting for me.

With LAIN members arriving from all over the country to discuss LGBT Aging Issues, along with RainbowVision Vancouver Canada's Dean Malone, the air will be sure to be charged with creativity as we all look at the joys and challenges of aging together to determine where we are as a population and where we are as a community. We will be sharing information and defining the trends on as many aspects of these issues as possible.

Here's to keeping the focus on moving things forward and to keeping joyful in our lives- no matter what.

Joy Silver, President/CEO