Shorter Days Longer Nights

Maybe it's the shorter days that has created the illusion that this past week seemed to have just disappeared so quickly. Or maybe it is the amount of things going on that has seemed to have collapsed so much into a short amount of time. From my own presidential debate party, making calls for Obama, teaching classes, attending charitable events and traveling to the East End, I seem to have been very busy this week.

In any regard, I find myself at the beginning of another week feeling like there is as much to do, if not more, than last week. Like many of my friends, I will have to start working through the nights, which proceed as if time has stopped. Unlike the daylight hours that have decidedly different arcs of time - morning, noon, afternoon, early eve - the evening hours have no such distinctive markers. Without the advent of ones favorite shows to mark time, the night hours march on undistinguished. If I could summon creativity without the use of sunlight, I might produce more than ever in those dark nights.

I have been so blessed with great friends that have always been supportive of me and my pursuits. And some of these same friends have taken their energies and are giving back to the world in many altruistic ways. Just this past week, I was able to participate in some of their efforts on behalf of others.

My longtime buddy, Hector Rojas, had his fifth annual fundraiser for the Wayuu Taya Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of indigenous children living on the border between Venezuela and Colombia. He has taken on this effort solely out of his desire to advance the life situations of children from his part of the world. He had a tremendous turnout of people lending their support in every way.

In attendance was our friend and his mentor, Leo Preziosi, who is the founder and executive director of LIVE OUT LOUD, New York's premier nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting LGBT youth to leaders in the LGBT community through events and programs at area schools and universities. Leo had this wonderful idea several years ago, to address this need, and has tirelessly worked on it since. His current Homecoming Project encourages Gay and Lesbian professionals to go back to their high schools as role models to the LGBT teens there. If any of you would be interested in bringing your stories back to your alma maters, please contact him directly.

We spent the weekend at our dear friends' home in Easthampton, where we were feted to a Sunday brunch that set new standards for us all. It is not unusual to be floored by their attention to their guests and their comforts but this even surpassed that. We were all out there for the spectacular celebration that our friend, the publicist and marketing director, Genita Ingram, produced in conjunction with the fundraising efforts of John Rivers, at their vacation house, with his partner, Gavin Morrow, on behalf of the Human Rights Campaign, the muscular legislative arm of the LGBT community. Their donation prowess was cause for the organization to invite top donors to their beautiful home in Easthampton, to recognize them for their efforts. Needless to say, their party, as usual, was filled with interesting people and delicious food and a fun time for all.

With all that my many friends and my partner Joe Steele has going on, I am again motivated to fulfill on my own purpose. Though that may seem to have many tentacles, from time to time, they are all worth the efforts.