The Rainbow Banquet

So this morning, I had no plans to go to the rainbow banquet. I had pulled an all nighter, I had plans to nap and go to class and work and then sleep some more, but this banquet only happens once a year... I ditched work and went to it.

Joan was there and then we met up with Ademil. Dan showed up and we hung around, and Varut came. Marielle came about an hour into it. We all sat at a table together. It was amazing, the difference between when they'd hosted my prom and tonight, with this banquet, and people I really genuinely care about.

What started me on getting upset over it all? The Queer Year in Review maybe... I don't know. Maybe the Foundation Awards. I think it really started when Patty Hayes started crying when they gave her her award. They created this big poster and had everyone sign it... and I never knew she was a student. I thought she worked here. She took her award, took the framed poster, and leaned over the podium for a second and said, "I am the luckiest person in the world... because I get to work with my heroes..." and she started to cry. And I started to cry.

And Justin started his little speech with a story about Cher, but then he got emotional too, and said, "I can't cry, people think I'm mean." But then he did cry... and again, I cried.

I don't remember who it was who said it, that college is a safe place, and to really relish it while we're here, because the world isn't like that, it's a lot meaner. He said to bottle the feeling we have when we're here, bottle it the best we can and walk with it... I don't know if I can.