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.