#original works in this economy

The Loud Respite

I don’t mind being quiet about my queerness. I’m quiet about a lot of things, and I’m comfortable with most people not knowing. If they ask, I’ll tell them the truth, but no one asks. All in all, being queer has been a quiet kind of love and joy within myself.

There was, however, a loud respite. It came in the form of a woman in her fourties, who was in the office next to mine. It took only a month before I realized she was a raging bisexual, emphasis on the raging part. She was a ball of fire- not afraid to speak her mind, cursed like a sailor, and told inappropriate stories that would make the Bible burst into flames if it heard. She was the second openly queer adult woman I’ve ever met in my life and we became best friends at once.

We all talk about how representation matters, and I’d never known I needed it until I met her. She was messy and bold and full of a fire that countered my inherent stillness in full force. And I was allowed to be myself. God, can you imagine, speaking freely and being really, truly, heard?

Life happens, however, and nothing is forever. She moved to another job, a better job. And I am quiet again. But I’ll always remember the respite.