The Amazing Ra(s)e or Adventures in the Meat Rack

This past September 21, my dear friend Jade Esteban Estrada was coming to the Community House in Cherry Grove to perform his one-man show ICONS, The Lesbian and Gay History of the World, Volume II. And what an adventure it was.

First, Jade left his home in San Antonio on a 6:30am flight to Atlanta. Layover. Flight to LaGuardia then cab to the Long Island Railroad. Who knew there were two branches? Unfortunately, Jade took the North Branch, when he wanted the South. He switched trains at Hicksville and went to Ronkonkoma. Cab to Sayville to the Ferry Stop. Here it gets even MORE interesting.

Jade was dropped off at the Ferry and saw a lot of gay people, so it seemed he was in the right place. Turns out, he was on the boat to Fire Island Pines. The boat to Cherry Grove is immediately adjacent on the Sayville side, but separated by a wooded area on the Fire Island side popularly know as The Meat Rack.

The Meat Rack is located between the Pines and Cherry Grove and is a place where like-minded men rendezvous for alfresco relations. There are certain well-marked paths where people who want to get from point A to point B will remain, but there are many little trysting places for those who are interested. Back to our story.

I got a text message from Jade at about the time I was meeting the Cherry Grove boat that he was not on. It was about then he realized he was in the Pines. At the end of the season there are very many fewer water taxis, and there would not be another until 7:40pm. The time was now 6:55pm and we were rapidly losing daylight. Jade determined he'd hike through the Rack.

I high-tailed it down Bayview Walk to the end of the Grove and started in, asking the one-two-three men emerging whether they had seen a man with two large suitcases. The third man had seen two large suitcases about 100 yards apart, but no Jade. Now we were getting close.

I started down the forest path, the only one I am familiar with, and when I encountered the first suitcase, I started calling "Jade" in the failing light. Jade responded and I met him in one of the sandy areas in the center of the Rack.

It happened then, that three men were walking home from the Pines Pantry. I approached the tallest of the three to ask for their help - and Jade said "Paul...?" and Paul said "Jade...?" and we had help! Paul manfully shouldered the super-heavy suitcase containing half of Jade's show and carried and dragged it through the shifting sands to the end of Lewis Walk. Now we just had to find the second suitcase...

Jade had wisely started to stage his bags in a relay - carry one forward 100 yards, carry the other forward 200, and ultimately the sloggy leap-frog would pay off until the cavalry arrived (c'est moi). Unfortunately, the twilight was upon us and in the forest all the greenery was becoming black - complicating the search for the second black suitcase.

Angels smile on fools and theatre people and we found the bag. We met up with Paul and the other bag at the end of Lewis Walk and Jade and I took off for the Community House. Clackity-clack all the way from one end of the Grove, past the Ferry Dock to the nimbus of light (dare I say "halo") surrounding our destination. Jade said "Sherr, what time is it"? "7:30pm", I replied. "Sherr, we beat the Water Taxi!"

Too late for long story short, but Jade is the consummate professional. While we did his sound check, he set his stage, we set his mirror and the curtain was at 8:15pm! Jade later said, "It was like the Amazing Race, but there were no cameras!".

At no point did either Jade or I believe we wouldn't make the show. There is no limit to what anyone can do - you simply need to believe that it's possible.

What are we doing in this handbasket?

I was born and raised by depression-era people who taught me the value of hard work and a dollar. Over the past, oh, half of my lifetime I have seen the value of hard work and a dollar erode due to the so-called economic conservatives.

I don't know how I became such a blue-stocking, except that both of my mother's parents were intensely individualistic. We are a hard-headed family, each in a different way and bound by love. But it was only after my grandparents had both passed away that my mother dropped bombshells that I would have liked to have heard her parents' side of the story.

Nonetheless, it is now in 2008 that I will now be (further) subsidizing people both above and below me on the economic scale. No one learned in the Savings and Loan crisis to not let any of the Bush boys near money, I supposed. Neil Bush was one of the smarter kids too - frightening, isn't it?

Watching the Presidential "town hall" format debate the other night, I was struck very forcefully by the visual comparison of old man/young man. McCain has had it and Palin is not the one to prop him up. Obama was serene and composed - but he showed plenty of fire when McCain tried to pull a fast one on the viewing public.

More important, however, is that Obama has substance and McCain looks like one of the muppet hecklers (Waldorf, is that you?), especially when he thinks he's landed a bon mot.

Lord, Lord, Lord, not here - not now! Why have all of these troubles happened - the post-modern plagues of AIDS, HPV, Economic Woes (standing in for locusts) and others happened? It's time to STOP looking for the great Parent (in the sky or in the government) to make things better - it's time to START taking matters into our own capable hands.

Start with the vote. Be aware of your surroundings. Connect to your community. The benefits are out there.