You want to know about my Neil? Hmmm... I guess the best thing is that I loved him more than I knew. We met about 25 yrs ago when a next door neighbor of mine got a divorce and his wife and kids left. There was a steady stream of young men coming and going but I'm not making any judgements about Ted. All I know is that Neil came and stayed. Ted introduced us to him and Neil and I formed a bond right away. My daughter didn't like him because he was gay, my oldest son and one of his cousins used to spy into their kitchen window from our bathroom window and several times came out running and screaming "EEEWWWWWW!!" I made them stop spying because I didn't want Ted and Neil to hear them raising a ruckus. Can't remember what kind of a relationship our middle son had with him, but Neil took to "the baby" and the baby took to him.

Neil was blonde with curly hair and emerald green eyes... maybe about 5'8" or 5'9" and thin as a rail. Boy, did he like his sleep!

Neil always had special little insignificant "things" for his "Little Johnny." He'd address John seriously and would tell him he had something at the house for him. I can see it like it was yesterday "Little Johnny" taking Neil's finger and going next door with him. My daughter thought I was a horrible mother for letting John go, but I know that it's one thing to be gay and something totally different to be a perverted child molester. One has nothing to do with the other.

Actually, Neil and I became closer when he and Ted moved to another part of town. We made more of an effort to have quality time. Neil taught me to sew and make my own patterns. He told me that he once interviewed with Richard Chamberlain to be his wardrobe master, but Richard turned him down because Neil was younger that he. LOL

When we'd talk about my crush on Richard Chamberlain and I'd say "What a waste!" -- meaning that RC was gay, too, Neil would answer "Maybe for you but not for me!" and give me an evil grin. LOLOL

We'd play argue about which method was better, crocheting or knitting. He knitted like a royal fiend and I plodded along with my crocheting.

One Christmas, not too long ago, he rescued me from the pit of despair and insisted I come visit him in San Francisco. He introduced me to the Castro District (gay part of town), to sushi and to a magnificent restaurant on the beach. We had New Year's breakfast there with a harpist playing holiday music in the background. If it hadn't been Neil I was with, I could have fallen in love... maybe I did... just a little bit. After breakfast is when we walked around and looked at the ruins of the "bath houses" and took pictures. That's when he put his arms around me and rested his chin on my shoulder. (tears) We made a love connection but not one between man and woman. Maybe one of spirits. ... ... ...

I could go on and on, but that's enough for now...

Thank you so much, Wise Woman.




<font color=blue>"Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt" --Shakespeare</font color=blue>