Ahodgepodgery

Short stories about dancing tango, gay life, and everything in between. Sprinkled with the occasional insight and a dash of funny.

[egorodriguez]

George stopped. Two men stood close, holding each other in plain view. No fear. No shame. The sight warmed him, and it stung. He had spent years hiding, never daring to show what he felt. His whole life he kept that part of himself locked away. Watching them now, he felt proud of them. He also felt the weight of everything he never let himself have.

[ahodgepodgery]

Kiss This Year Goodbye

And point me towards 2016!

2015 was great and 2016 looks to even be better. Grad school continues to take up a majority of time so there hardly opportunity for other activities. When relatives asked this season if I’m seeing anyone I truly replied I’m in a committed relationship with textbooks. 

Best wishes to all for the New Year!

[ahodgepodgery]

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

There is a nurse who tells every person they care for “Thank you for being a patient patient”

There are groans, a few eye rolls, and even a couple of chuckles. I never tire of hearing the joke and I’m always glad to be on the same clinical shift as them.

[ahodgepodgery]

The Mindset of a Child

In the production of “My Fair Lady”, there is a piece called “I Could Of Danced All Night”. At the piano bar I sometimes visit everyone knows the lyrics. The second part of the song goes,

I could have danced all night, I could have danced all night And still have begged for more I could have spread my wings and done a thousand things I've never done before But if you are feeling silly and naughty some people will sing the lyrics like

I could have spread my thighs and done a thousand guys I've never done before

I’m afraid I still laugh at the different lyrics and cringe at my lack of maturity. 

[mikeandbob]

I don’t regret the bridges that I’ve burned,  I regret that certain people weren’t on the bridge when I burned them

[ahodgepodgery]

The past is always tense, the future perfect.

Zadie Smith

A  favorite quote of mine because grammar witticisms never go out of style.

[ahodgepodgery]

Drag Queen A: How's it hanging?

Drag Queen B: Oh you know, sometimes to the right, sometime to the left. It really depends on the temperature.

A conversation between two drag queens.

[argentinatangoshoes]

~ Argentina Tango Shoes ~

[ahodgepodgery]

Because tango is for all ages and all skill levels

[ahodgepodgery]

The Church of our Lady Bette Midler

“Are they a member of the church?”

That was the expression that an older couple used when talking about other gay people. Similar to “A Friend of Dorothy’s” it was a coded phrase to talk about fellow family openly in the public yet be discrete.

It so happened that I was having dinner with the couple and they used said phrase when another dinner guest with selective hearing ask “Oh you guys go to a church, which one?”. This was from a person who was active at a nearby church and was actually curious about their actual religious affiliations.

Apparently, the two were unprepared for such a question. Thinking on their feet they said “We go the Church of our Lady Bette Midler, it’s nice but you spend a lot of time on your knees.” It took a moment before the religious guest got the joke and responded “Well I hope you swallow the good word and don’t just spit it out” 

[pilgrims-dance-and-social-blog]

[ahodgepodgery]

Now that is a genuine smile of truly dancing with someone incredible. What a lovely same-sex pair.

[ahodgepodgery]

Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Now if only I could sit quietly... 

[ahodgepodgery]

A wonderful short film that takes place at a milonga, a social dancing event. The story is told completely visually. No words are spoken between the characters (although it’s implied). It is a pretty neat video and definitely worth a peek. 

[ahodgepodgery]

Uncle Elton Wants You

Jerry: Tell me now, were you recruited into the gays the same way you were recruited into the Navy?

Jose: Please I wasn't recruited into the gays, I enlisted.

-Overheard passing tidbits from gay veterans

[ahodgepodgery]

This was at Aire de Tango in Montreal, Quebec and the photo does not do the place enough justice. I was there for the queer tango festival and the location was simply lovely. The place was filled with hundreds of these tiny lights and with live music playing it turned even the most bitter heart into a romantic. 

“Fairy lights”. Instead of string lights or Christmas lights in certain places they are referred to as fairy lights which I didn’t know before. The name certainly fits.

[ahodgepodgery]

Taken by Yuri Panov in the 2013 Queer Tango Festival in Buenos Aires for a photo contest. Originally posted in the blog Two In Buenos Aires. 

One of the wonderful things about tango is that it puts you into contact with people of many different ages. I've been lucky to encounter dancers who were college students to dancers who were retired. 

The photo reminds me of the memorable times I’ve had dancing with someone who is significantly older than me. I never would have imagined it. 

More photos from the contest

http://twoinbuenosaires.com/queer-tango-festival-photo-contest-2/

To check out more of Two In Buenos Aires

http://twoinbuenosaires.com/?lang=en_us

[ahodgepodgery]

Where Troubles Melt Like Lemon Drops

I’m a big fan of piano bars with group singing. There is nothing quite like it and it brings about such comradery.  

Hanging around a gay crowd the request are often your usual suspects; Broadway, Showtunes, the occasional Madonna song. Since there are so many pieces out there rarely does everyone know the words to a song and there are always couple of breaks or mumbled lines. The one exception that I've always found is Somewhere Over The Rainbow. When the pianist plays this song, the whole crowd knows the words. Not everyone can reach the high notes but they all sing. 

[ahodgepodgery]

For Better Or Worse

One the best parts about dancing with another guy is how effortlessly they can move me. There is that indescribably delightful sensation of weightlessness, of feeling ethereal as I do my pivots around their grounded frame. The embrace feels supportive and above else protective.

And while wonderful it is also frightening. It’s frightening because of how one-sided a physical confrontation could be with them. I know first hand how someone taller and heavier than me can easily fling me across the room.

What this means is that I’m careful about who to approach for dance, using my sixth sense to detect who will say no kindly and who will say no unkindly.