Inner City Roadkill
As I was wandering home tonight I noticed a mass of fur on the ground near a garbage bin on Oxford Street. Living in the inner city, you get used to seeing odd things here and there, as people dispose of things left right and centre. A dog, a cat, a bad pair of track pants? No, it was more recognisable: it was a Wilderness Society costume. And the way it was arranged so close to the busy street, I couldn’t help but conclude it looked like roadkill…”Wilderness Society Roadkill” to be precise.
It gave me quite a giggle as I walked home after attending “Fruits In Suits” (organised by the Gay & Lesbian Business Association). Although it was my “first time” in some ways, I’d been to “Fruits” once before, several years ago, and I guess I’d been fairly dismissive of it at the time, regarding many of those attending as inner-city wankers (which I’m not). And then I was living in Perth, I attended that city’s monthly event on a reasonably regular basis, finding little of the pretension I’d encountered in Sydney several years earlier. But in a desire to get out and about, I summoned up the courage to attend last Thursday night’s monthly gathering at Mars Lounge.
I was actually apprehensive about going, as I’m normally quite shy. So I called Graeme, who I knew could motivate me and help me overcome my fears. But after entering and standing alone for about 10 minutes or so, and checking out the room which was overwelmingly 30-50 in age, with a significantly high percentage of Asian men, a nearby bloke caught my eye and introduced himself.
“Is this your first time?” he asked. Thank goodness, I thought, the awkward moment of introduction was overcome. And then within half an hour or so I was chatting with a group of dentists. Well, actually it must have been just about every dentist in Sydney who is gay. “I used to know a dentist who was gay who I used to call the toothy fairy”, I told one of the guys, leading to the response “I’m sure you did”. Well, that put me in my place, didn’t it? I didn’t win the lucky door prize, but I did meet some nice people and I think I’ll go back again.