Snowy sent me these black and white pictures tonight. They were taken by her sister
Bobbie on Thanksgiving 2002. Apparently it is a tradition to have your
portrait taken in black and white by Bobbie. Sometimes things are
clearer when you remove the noise (color). Now I love noise in all
it's wonderful forms and varieties but once and a while it's good to strip
it all down to the basics. I've been getting a lot of email from the
site lately and I wanted to share. These kinds of messages remind me
why I do this. Yes I put it out there and that's my way of staying
true. When it's out there you can just be. No cover to maintain
or step to cover. This applies to pretty much any part of life.
Apply as needed, rinse and repeat. So bear with me as I answer
the mailbag with simple truths.Dear Latin Spice,
Thank you for noticing my issues. Issues. Interesting word,
both a verb and a noun. The noun issue is actually created by the verb
issue. So an issue isn't really an issue until it is issued.
Nice the verb creates the noun. Since I publish or issue my thoughts
here on the web I guess by definition they are my issues. Wordplay for
$500 Alex.
Dealing with issues, isn't that we do everyday. The short email below is written better than anything I've posted here. So when someone takes the time to read and respond I only want to write more. Dialog if you will. I never know who will read what and especially who will be moved enough to write me back. Simple communication using today's complex machines and technology. Message sent---Message Received---Response Sent
"Sean: While I hate to admit my lack of time spent reviewing your words and images on this site, I'm truly impressed by your relative bias and the content, not to mention commitment. I do miss our banter and straight talk. Our conversation today left me feeling assured you are headed in self-fulfilling directions, which has always served you well. I have always looked upon our friendship from the perspective of substantive personalities rather than comparative lifestyles." Dave
I guess people can tell when you are pretending. Not all the time, but sometimes I have to make myself believe life is great. Everybody gets down now and then. My site reflects more than I had imagined.
"Sean Wheatley; a name that
will live in infamy! I think you will remember me as Nancy Name Change,
Ragans friend. Don't worry, this is not some weird stalker letter. I was on
classmates and came across you. I like your website; you seem have turned
out to be an interesting individual. Not that I didn't get that impression
back in the day, when I knew you.
If you want to see how I turned out, my website is on classmates as well.
Saugerties High School, 1983. You seem like a happy person. Glad things have
turned out well for you. Don't know what else to say. How do you "catch up"
with someone you barely knew 20 something years ago. I guess the picture (of
you at 15 or 16), made me say "awww, I should write."
In a nutshell I am a Christian vegetarian woman with 2 kids, 2 dogs, a
husband, who loves writing, reading, science (biology), animals and listens
to 80's heavy metal (still) and all the new alternative stuff, with some rap
and country thrown in for good measure. Somewhat of an anomaly. Oh, yes and
I am a republican and voted for Bush. As politically incorrect as it is, I
support Bush. My brother is an officer currently training to be an airborne
ranger at Fort Benning, GA. I am so proud of him.
The last time I heard from Ragan, she was in Thailand having the adventure
of a lifetime. That was at Christmas. I hope I get to see her again someday,
she was something, and still is. Well, it was nice talking at you. Take
care, and keep up the good work on the web-site. You are a great writer."
Nancy
Finally this email came today and kind of started me on this whole riff. You are not alone. Again. Rinse and repeat. Isn't that the bottom line? The black and white of it all.
If you are reading this you are not alone!
How's that? Isn't that what everybody is searching for on some level? That's my issue and it lives right here. Thank you all for your emails and visits.
Keep them coming.
Peace,
Sean
"Sean! Dave,
brother of Mary Multiple Name Change here. I don't know if you
remember me...skinny Freshman in the bass section every morning of your
senior year. Anyway, I stumbled upon your webpage and had a great laugh with
my sister over the photos of her in the yearbook section.
I've read a lot of your site, and found it both interesting and heartwarming
to know that someone that I "know" can be so open and in touch with himself
for all the world to read. In particular, the article about your trip back
East was moving and I wanted to express some thoughts. First, and most
importantly, YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN HOW YOU FEEL!! I moved away from
Smallbany about 9 year ago (!!!!). First I moved to Manhattan to be with my
girlfriend (now wife...another Shaker grad) who was attending Columbia Law
School. I decided to go to college (nobody at Shaker ever told me that this
was an option). We moved to the Washington, DC area and I finished school at
Maryland. We actually moved back to Albany for just ... 8 months. Then
back to sunny DC with us (and our young son). We've been here since, and
have not regretted a moment of it.
Your description of the trip back "home" accurately describes how we feel
every time we go back. Cold, steely gray...feeling like a stranger in an
all too familiar, never changing land, particularly when going through a
mall or any other public area. You half expect people to recognize you...to
have kids (who weren't even born when you went to high school) say "Hey!
There's that great guy from the Shaker theater! Man, you were just
sensational in that role you played back in the 80s!" Then, feeling totally
relieved when nobody recognizes you after all.
The visit with families....again, strange...feeling more like a guest than a
relative. Feeling like nobody really understands you or what you have
become, because we've all changed so much from what everyone remembers.
Getting "urbanized" has made us all grow up and really cherish people (no
matter the skin color, sexual preference, religion, whatever) for who they
are and what they have to offer.
OK Sean, I know you probably didn't want to read some stupid ramblings from some guy you probably don't remember. I just felt like I needed to tell you that there are others with whom you have had contact, and who have come from a similar background that seem to feel exactly the same way you do. Thanks for making it this far in my letter, and keep updating that great webpage!" DD