Proud moments

There are those times in life when you wonder if your life has any impact at all.

But not long ago, I walked into Brian's flower shop and - for whatever reason or mood I was in - I performed the beauty queen pageant/Queen Elizabeth wave - the rigid hand held aloft, only rotating about 90 degrees in each direction.

Brian's partner's husband - a gruff, military school graduate, father, grandfather and ex-(long time) CIA man of very few but well chosen words  - looked at me with disgust from behind the counter. 

His exposure to the gay community and sensibilities has been largely fire-hosed at him since we went into business together last year.  He is so welcoming and so affirming - it's been wonderful - but you always wonder if you have pushed him too far.

Standing up - he glared at me and raised his own hand.

"You never raise the hand above the crown," he said.  "Don/'t you know that?"

My work here is done.