Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Thank you Melbourne!

Well, I have to say a big thank you to the people I know across Melbourne. While no city is perfect, the people I've come to know from all walks of life have been fantastic. What brought that home to me was the effort that people like John and Jenny (husband and wife) from one of the orienteering clubs I belong to, to help and support me in whatever way they could. Not only did they visit Mal in hospital, send flowers and attend the funeral, but they went the extra step of ensuring that I got some of the left over food from tonight's breakup dinner for the street orienteering season. That kind gesture moved me to tears.

Similarly, the families on both sides - even those more distant that I never really got to know didn't bat an eyelid and came up and expressed their sympathy. Another surprise was my parents, who now live near Tocumwal made the long trip to Melbourne for the funeral. We hadn't been really close, and I never really spelled out the details of our relationship, but they made the effort.

While the politicians debate the validity of our relationships, more and more lay people are quietly discovering the GLBT men and women in their lives and are quietly accepting us as part of their community and circle of friends. I've seen that happen increasingly over the years. This is the side of Melbourne that makes me want to stay and makes me proud of our city.

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