The Summer of Ivan

It’s been a hot week,

and a little bit slow,

at the bookstore,

and in my life.

When, it’s really hot,

I don’t sleep well,

and,

when,

I don’t sleep well,

I get cranky,

and,

slow.

Last night was cool,

and I slept,

like the proverbial baby:-)

Funny when I’m cranky,

or a little bit down,

I do a lot of reading,

which stimulates,

my thoughts,

and,

helps me emerge from,

my doldrums,

provided,

it’s the right kind,

of reading,

for my mood.

The Gladwell,

helped me think,

and,

perhaps,

consider a new path,

for the future.

A fabulous book,

can’t recommend it,

strongly enough,

it’s ten years old,

and,

yet,

so fresh.

But, this Summer,

has been,

the Summer of Ivan.

In the last week,

I have read,

three of her books,

add,

to the two,

I had read,

previously,

it is almost,

the entirety,

of her oeuvre.

I think Ivan,

has arrived,

in my life,

at the right time,

she speaks to me.

Her openess about,

being a butch queer,

and,

what it really means,

the good,

the bad,

the ugly,

rings so true.

I don’t mean her,

life and her path,

ressemble my own,

she hails from The Yukon,

and I’m from Montreal,

she now lives in Vancouver,

I’m still in Montreal,

she’s famous,

I’m not:-)

She’s  a writer,

I want to be,

but,

her search for,

understanding,

who she is,

and getting,

the message out,

to youth,

and everyone,

that yeah,

we may be different,

but,

there are many of us,

and we love,

our family,

Grandmas,

extended family,

dogs/cats,

girlfriends/partners,

and,

have learned,

from our parents.

So,

just how different are we?

We don’t question your rights,

and,

reason for being,

why question ours?

But,

mostly Ivan,

makes me smile,

and think,

about my butchness,

and how sometimes,

I question it,

she helps give,

myself permission,

to embrace,

my label,

and my stereotype,

as well as,

trancend it.

I’ll have to catch,

one of her performances,

or maybe,

write her,

a fan letter,

wait,

maybe,

I just did:-)

I love Ivan,

like a brother,

or a sister:-)

Just wanted to tell you all that.

Later girls,

BB