AlexWest

[alexsummerwest]

I'd realised long ago that moving on was the best way to stop the hurt from catching up to you. Wishing the additional year would give me more wisdom and courage to face everything in life.

[quotemadness]

“We…need to forgive ourselves…For all the things we didn’t do. All the things we should have done. You can’t get stuck on the regrets of what should have happened.”

— Mitch Albom

[humansofnewyork]

“I just feel like I should be doing better.  I’m nowhere near retirement.  I’m working two jobs: I’m a licensed tour guide, and I make videos for businesses.  But even that’s not enough, so recently I’ve started working for the census.  I don’t want to run down the census: it’s fine, it’s great, it’s important work.  But I’m ashamed of it.  Because I’m sixty-five years old, I’m a college graduate, and I’m supposed to be done by now.  I’m supposed to be coasting.  But I’m not even close.  I feel like I still don’t even have a grip on the basics: how to make a living, how to keep my house in order, how to take care of myself.  And it feels shameful.  I feel not grown up.  Like I should have learned all of this so long ago.  And I’m afraid people will think it’s pathetic.  Worse than that.  They’ll think I’m incapable.  So I’ve been keeping a lot hidden.  I haven’t even told my colleagues about the census.  And that’s one thing I’m trying to work on— not keeping things hidden.  Because I know this shame isn’t healthy.  It isn’t right.  I’m luckier than 99 percent of people.  I’ve been sober for 39 years.  I have the greatest wife of 32 years.  I don’t have any crippling debt.  I’m doing OK.  I shouldn’t have to hide my situation.  And being more open has helped.  Because once I start telling people, and I see they’re not judging me, and that they’re still loving me, the shame tends to disappear.”

[alexsummerwest]

This is also truly my fear. I am sure she is doing just fine. What is this perception that most of everyone who worked a long time should be coasting at 65 and if not a failure? There are no such rules, and society did no such guarantees, so then why do we perceived it that way?

[alexsummerwest]

It's unbelievable how a single call from your loved one can lift your heart up so high.

[alexsummerwest]

[alexsummerwest]

A bouquet of roses for the girlfriend to celebrate pride. And also I miss her loads.

[action]

Happy Pride 2019, Tumblr!

There are so many ways to celebrate this beautiful month! Pride parades and festivals and marches will take place all over the U.S. to elevate our LGBTQIA+ selves, friends, and family. Your Tumblr dashboards deserve to feel just as commemorative, so all month long we’re going to be highlighting amazing LGBTQIA+ Tumblrs for you to follow.

As we celebrate, we also want to remember the serious event from which Pride has evolved. This month marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Stonewall Riots, a series of political protests that began at The Stonewall Inn in New York City. Young Black and brown LGBTQIA+ people—particularly trans POC—were the first to stand up and protest against the police brutality and inhumane treatment of people within their community. They deserve to be remembered, respected, and honored.

And so, this year, our theme is “Educate. Advocate. Celebrate.” We’re sharing resources and information about the LGBTQIA+ community to help educate those who are not as knowledgeable about the history of the community. We’re advocating for the community by providing links to helpful resources, small businesses owned by LGBTQIA+ folks, and non-profits to support. And, of course, we want you to celebrate who you are. Through that, we’ll be spotlighting non-profit organizations, LGBTQIA+ artists on Tumblr, and more throughout the month right here on @action. There are so many wonderful LGBTQIA+ Tumblrs out there, and we want to continue to support and uplift them.

There’s also a little bit of fun added across the platform. See the Tumblr “T” up at the top on the left on desktop web? Hover your mouse and see it cycle through different LGBTQIA+ flag colors, including the traditional LGBTQ+ rainbow flag, trans flag, non-binary flag, genderqueer flag, lesbian flag, POC LGBTQ+ flag and more. Using the app? Open up the sticker drawer and find some of those Pride flag in sticker form to use however you see fit.

We want to know how and who you’re educating, advocating, and celebrating this month. Is it you? Your parents? Your best friend? Is there a small business owner we should know about? Make a post about ‘em! Make sure to tag your post with #Tumblr Pride so the whole community can find it.

Stay safe and stay kind, Tumblr. ❤️

[extramadness]

[alexsummerwest]

I still remember, you came in office, blonde hair tall, introduced to everyone by Robert. And you talk with an accent. Hahaha. You had a good handshake.

[sedonajohn-deactivated20230129]

Cathedral Rock, Sedona, Az. Thirty second exposure under a near full moon.

[alexsummerwest]

next destination??

[inluvwu]

[girlcouples]

girls and love

[alexsummerwest]

Is this what you imagined camping to be??? Lol

[alexsummerwest]

Alrighty, she's super badass, well-spoken, intellectual, and definitely shut the host's point on hinting she's also being seduced by money too.

- "I wasn't hurting anyone by saying 'here's Hollyoaks!'". Hahaha..

[alexsummerwest]

Here's an awkward handholding photo to show off the couple's rings and the blue box.

[alexsummerwest]

Today I miss my girl very much. We talked on the phone (I wouldn't let her go and yes, I take 20 minutes or more to say goodbye), and talked about what it would be like to live together... We would probably fight sometimes, over the most trivia matters. Like shoes in the house, like being messy, or nagging etc.

It might seem romantic at the beginning, perhaps the distance conjuring an even more unrealistic/romantic perception on what it would be like...

There's always going to be risks in any relationship changes, changing from an environment to another together, facing day-to-day challenges together. Maybe it's all going to go to shit... But at this moment, I'm just really excited (and a little worried) about finally knowing that our next phase is coming...

Finally we're going to end this 10,000 miles of distance and space between us.

Perhaps we will annoy each other over the shoes things, or the clothes things etc., But knowing that we will be like any other (straight or gay) couples and love together... But excited to know that even when we're annoyed at each other, it won't be a calling it quits situation where we just delete each other from our phone's contacts and Facebook and WhatsApp; knowing that we still (have to) come home to face the problems together and will still love each other no matter what. It feels real, and it feels really right. :)

[alexsummerwest]

Feeling loved. :) Thank you baby.

[humansofnewyork]

“I’ve wanted to go into construction since high school. I used to help my dad out all the time. Everything in our house we built ourselves. But my teachers tried to steer me down a different path. They’d encourage me to ‘figure things out.’ They’d say: ‘Why don’t you do this?’ or ‘Why don’t you do that?’ But I chose construction because it’s what I like to do. I got my union card at eighteen. The pay isn’t bad. I get benefits. It feels good to be young and working every day. But I see all these advertisements on the subway, and they basically say: ‘If you want to be successful, you have to go to college.’ All my friends went to college. Some of them have liberal arts degrees that I didn’t even know existed. A couple more dropped out. The ones who graduated can’t find jobs and have a lot of student debt. But they still look at me like I’m on the wrong path. When I tell them I can help them get a job in construction, they always say the same thing: ‘Why would we want to do that?’”

[alexsummerwest]

😍

[alexsummerwest]

So this trip I had insisted on taking photos together so we have proof of 'Been there done that'. Also because we seldom take photos together. There.