Category: mental health and well-being

Welcome back, my pals!!!

In this post, I intend to “out” myself or at least out a part of my childhood. When I was a little boy, I used to run around the house with a towel on my head and say I was a girl. Girl! Girl! 😂🤣

Now, I know a lot of you are going to say – ‘well, now where’s my surprise face?’ 😂🤣👌

Some of you may giggle and laugh. And some of you may even relate, especially the gay men.

And some, of course, may judge me, which of course, I don’t give a shart.

I don’t know every gay man’s backstory, but dollars to donuts, I will bet MOST gay men have been in drag, or as little boys, pretended to be little girls.

I thought about this topic and I realized that this isn’t really just about me, but about our transgender community and what they go through.

But I shall start with –

My story:

I am not quite sure what age I started doing this, so I’ll guess around 6 or 7. But I would put a towel on my head and walk around the house, IN FRONT OF MY grandparents and aunt – the people who raised me – and utter my little phrase – “I’m a girl! Girl!!! GIRL!!!!”

As a matter of fact, sometimes my aunt would even help me fashion my towel hair into a ponytail using one of her hair rollers! Kid you not! 😂🤣

(And don’t some of you DARE drag my aunt – drag, no pun intended – and say she shouldn’t have encouraged me. I know how some of you str8 people can be!)

I would put my towel hair on and pretend to be Wonder Woman or Jaime Sommers (The Bionic Woman) or Kelly Garrett from Charlie’s Angels. Whenever I watched them, I felt that I could identify WITH them.

And even playing outside and without my “hair,” I still pretended to be these iconic heroines. I didn’t care and I had no shame.

At first they thought it was cute. But then over the years – YES OVER THE YEARS – when I continued to do it, they didn’t think it was so cute anymore.

As a matter of fact, I remember when I was about 10 or 11, my aunt and grandmother went from thinking it was cute to “TAKE THAT MESS OFF YOUR HEAD! YOU AIN’T NO GIRL!!!”

So, I started doing it in secret — all the way up to graduating from high school!!!

And that is why DECADES later, I came to the conclusion that – wait for it – I WAS a woman in a prior lifetime or LIFETIMES! It makes sense. It fits. (And yes, I do believe in past lives!) There are SO many things I do and say and the way I carry myself that is soooooooo feminine. And I know there are plenty of feminine-acting men, both gay and straight (yeah right) that do NOT identify as women inside. But I do. Again, save your judgments for YOURSELF!!  🤣😂

Which brings me to my next point.

Transgender People and What They Are Up Against

Transgender people who may happen to read this, may identify with what I’ve said thus far. I don’t know. But I can sure tell you that the part where I was told to take that mess off my head, can perhaps in a way translate to transgender people hearing ‘you are NOT a man/woman! You are the sex/gender you were assigned at birth.’ And this is EXTREMELY problematic for trans people.

There are people, particularly trans people, who do not feel comfortable in the body “assigned” to them at birth. Hell, I STILL feel more like a woman than I do a man. I have NEVER been one of those “guys” who would take off his shirt for any reason in public (well, except at the gay bar 😂🤣), because I honestly felt so exposed as if I had breasts like a woman.

People who feel trapped in the wrong body may experience gender dysphoria, or a feeling that their true gender identity does not match up with the gender or sex they were assigned at birth. Plain language:  A biological boy may feel like a girl inside and vice versa.  Or they may feel like they are not a particular gender at all! 

They feel outside their body, as if the body they were born with doesn’t fit. They feel trapped inside this foreign body with parts they just don’t relate to. However, the rest of the world expects them to conform or fit into this world they don’t understand, and they didn’t create. But they are supposed to follow these odd rules of sexuality, sexual orientation, and gender identity. It’s heartbreaking, particularly when the majority (str8 people) don’t get it.

Oh before I go any further, gender identity is very different from sexual orientation.  So, just because a woman is trans, for example, doesn’t mean she is necessarily attracted to men. 

I cannot begin to imagine the hate trans people receive. I mean, I received a LOT of hate for just being gay. Can you imagine you say that you don’t identify or feel like a man, but more like a woman and you decide to alter your appearance and begin living your life as a woman? Or as a trans man if your assigned gender at birth was female?

Also, if I delved into the number of trans murders, particularly those of trans women of color, we would be here all day!

And what we are seeing under this current criminal, cartel administration is abysmal. The cruelty towards trans people is astonishing. But it was bad before, but now the cartel administration is now trying to ban trans people from serving in the military. However, a smart judge has blocked the attempt! Ha! Let’s hope it holds.

I am reminded of the recent incident where Texas Republican representative Keith Self PURPOSELY misgendered Delaware Rep. Sarah McBride by referring to HER as MR. McBride!!!! But she clapped back and said “thank you. MADAM chair.” 😂🤣

Rep. Bill Keating from Massachusetts set his ass straight though, and called Self out. Self abruptly adjourned the session. Please see the clip below:

Just absolutely disrespectful!!!

And this mess about there only being two genders. Do some of you not realize that multiple genders have existed for centuries? You see it in the Native American community with Two Spirit people. These people lived as multiple genders, and yes, with male-presenting people dressing as women and vice versa.

And I am personally sick and tired of STR8 people screaming that it is man and woman or Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Shut up! Well, if Eve, a WOMAN hadn’t eaten that damned apple… just sayin’…

In summation, leave trans people alone!! They are not bothering you! It is just your intolerance, bigotry, hatred, and ignorance that is the problem. They want to live their lives just like everyone else.

And no, it is not a mental illness!!!!

Before you depart, please check out the Derek Store. You won’t be sorry!

Please come back next week when the topic will be about blacks in Hollywood. So, stay tuned! Until then, please be safe, and as always, mentally well!

Photo attributions: Nicolas Ladino Silva (fashion Divas), Manny Becerra (Pride Parade), Jon Tyson (stats on trans people), Mubariz Mehdizadeh (trans man). And of course the remarkable Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!! 😊😘❤️

DEREK’S DISCLAIMER:  I am not a medical professional, neither am I giving any medical or legal advice. If you are seeking help from a doctor or an attorney, please consult said professionals.  These are my personal thoughts and feelings on the subjects discussed, and my blog is my own personal experiences and journey with mental imbalance.  Thanking you in advance!

I do not own the copyright to any songs or videos listed here. 

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER:  There are products on this page.  By clicking on the links, you will be redirected to that page at no cost to you.  However, I will receive compensation if you purchase something (which I hope you do 😊).

Greetings my dear friends! Welcome back to the madness! Haha!

Last week I got super serious about the current criminal, cartel administration. This week, I shall keep it light and airy. 😉

Yes, I do live in a time warp. And yes, I have decided to go back in time to the year 1985 when I graduated from low school. Why did I choose this particular year? Well, yes, it was 40 years ago (which means I have been out of low school 40 years!), but I mainly chose this year because it was much more peaceful than now. 2025 has been riddled with nothing but angst, and this is only March! However 40 years ago in March of 1985, life was much less complicated and filled with, for the most part, happiness and the promise of new beginnings with my high school (low school) graduation coming up that June.

The music was on point!

As were the TV shows and movies.

I mean, sure there was that dreadful Cold War looming over our heads, and I have written extensively about that before.

But my life was so much better back then. No responsibilities except finishing school. No gotdarn bills to pay. It was heaven. And what was I thinking? Wanting to grow up and be an adult, because adulting is HARD!

And to be brutally frank, I can no longer tolerate today’s times. It SUCKS!!

The other reason why I am pro 1985 right now, is I have decided to start my life over from that point in time. I call it being 17 again. And this time I am being more focused on what I want out of life, even though I am actually 57! 🤣😂😉

Hey, it’s never too late to start over again.

This time around, I have more of a plan, a direction for my life. And of course, as I have learned, be prepared to alter those plans and direction if necessary, because life circumstances have a way of throwing curve balls. 😉😉

This time around, I am not giving a damn about friendships. Let me explain. I am not dumping friends, per se. It’s just that I am not hanging my all on people like I did in the past.

This time around I am not being so easily upset with family. I am trying to be more tolerant, especially with my aunt being in a nursing home.

This time around I am TRYING to be more business minded and money conscious. Note I said TRYING! 😀

This time around I am trying to focus less on the boys and more on myself. 😉😉

But most importantly, this time around, I am trying to heal that rift from when I started UCF and wasted my life between the fall of 1985 to the summer of 1987. This is very important to me. This may sound strange to some, but sometimes you have to return to the scene of the crime even if it is in your own mind.

So, this isn’t really about a nostalgia trip, but more of a mental healing. So, let me explain and try to give it a bit more context.

For those of you who don’t already know, starting in the fall of 1985 my first year at UNC, and after I entered into that dreadful cult, United Christian Fellowship or UCF, that fall is when I started to lose my mind. I have written about UCF previously. In my 5-part series, Religion: Is It Helpful or Harmful?

Please click on the banner below.

There is no other way for me to say this except to say that I started hearing voices. Quick backstory and as explained above, UCF’s Pastor Evans or Pastor E as we called him, said that listening to secular music was a sin, which tore me to pieces. I ended up throwing all of my cassettes away, and believe you me, I had amassed quite a number of them. However, in April of 1986, which was still my freshman year, Culture Club released their From Luxury to Heartache album, which was A-MAZE-BALLS! So, against Pastor E’s orders, I went to the-then Record Bar on Franklin Street and bought it, listened to it, and then promptly threw it away. And I did that twice. Stupid, I know. But I was in a CULT!!

However, the voices thing really came from Culture Club’s Waking Up With the House on Fire’s Dangerous Man with the line “He could word it out like a dangerous man. Martin (meaning Martin Luther King, Jr.) had the Devil just like anyone can. He spoke words they were frightened to mention.” When I thought about it, with Dr. King being a man of God, in my twisted mind with the Devil lyric, I thought I had blasphemed the Holy Ghost.

According to the Bible, blaspheming the Holy Ghost is the one sin that you can never be forgiven for. (Yeah, my intrusive thoughts were a thing even back then!) So, I lived in fear of that until I spoke with Pastor E about it, and he assured me that I had not done that.

But what a mess I was between 1985 to 1987. In 1987, I finally left that church because Charles Mills, my former bestie who also had been in that church left, too. I wanted to leave, but he gave me the impetus, just like moving away up to north campus into my own dorm room. Ha!

I feel like that period between 1985 and 1987 I was cheated out of part of the life I should have had, that I should have experienced. And I really need to sit down and go back in time and see what that would have looked like for me. Let me think:

1. I probably would have joined the marching band at Carolina. I had made plans to do that, I think, my sophomore year, but by then I was a music major and didn’t feel like I had the time.
2. Maybe I would have ended up with a BOYFRIEND!!! HA!
3. I most certainly would have started drinking sooner. Double Ha!!!
4. And here’s the kicker: But would I have become a music major? Hmmmm Or would I have been on track to becoming a doctor or pharmacist? (Pharmacy was my declared major back then). Well, probably not pharmacy, because ooooo that chemistry kicked my arse!

What I am trying to say without saying it, is religion brought me down into the beginning of mental illness. I don’t know, but maybe if I hadn’t joined that stupid church, maybe I would have spared myself some of that anguish. Who knows? Perhaps Ralph (the destructive intrusive thoughts in my head) would have found a way to find me, as he actually did even prior to 1985, which is a whole other story…

Just a thought… 🤔🤔

But at any rate, perhaps 1985 to 1987 is the bridge to reclaiming my sanity.

Now, before you depart, please check out the Derek Store. You won’t be sorry. 😀😀

Please stop by next week when the topic will be me discussing a part of my past that I never delve into. Ooooooo! Suspense! You won’t wanna miss. Until then, please be safe and, as always, mentally well!

DEREK’S DISCLAIMER:  I am not a medical professional, neither am I giving any medical or legal advice. If you are seeking help from a doctor or an attorney, please consult said professionals.  These are my personal thoughts and feelings on the subjects discussed, and my blog is my own personal experiences and journey with mental imbalance.  Thanking you in advance!

I do not own the copyright to any songs or videos listed here. 

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER:  There are products on this page.  By clicking on the links, you will be redirected to that page at no cost to you.  However, I will receive compensation if you purchase something (which I hope you do 😊).

Hello, all! I’m back!

As the title suggests, how is everyone doing during this most horrific time in history? Like many of you, I have not seen anything like this in my lifetime, where our very freedoms and democracy are on the line.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel as if I am living in a constant state of worry and anxiety. I am not at a point, thank God, where I feel like I have to look over my shoulder. However, every day is like an ‘okay what is the news going to say with regard to that orange thing?’ Or ‘what is the horrible headline of the day that I need to follow up on and check out for myself?’ In other words, ‘what executive order signed with the tiny hands of the orange baboon do I need to concern myself over?’

Under other presidencies, it was like business as usual. And the last time that thing was in office, it was a horrific disaster. But this time it is much, much worse. When is the day where it is going to become a full-on, full-fledged fascist country? It’s terrible!

We are being barraged by executive order after executive order. We don’t know which way to turn. It is constant!

We are being threatened by this cartel administration saying they are going to prosecute our senators who are fighting for us. Prosecute them just for speaking out against the Orange Baboon. (I’m sorry, I know that is an insult to all baboons!)

I have even started tucking an extra dollar or two here or there to make sure my money is safe, just in case Presidunce Musk and his DOGE twinks decide to hack into the banking systems, well they’ve probably already done that.

I am hoarding canned foods, too. So, every time I am at the grocery store now, I will purchase a canned good or two, something easy to open, just in case I either cannot get out of my house to go to the store. Or in case, I have to go on the run.

I have heard of others packing a “go bag” or a “flee bag” or “bug-out bag.” Again, in case you need to get the heck outta dodge.

Or perhaps there will be another pandemic, which by the looks of things, like last time, we will have to go through. Again.

Now, let me speak on the mental health aspect of all of this. I am trying to maintain throughout this ordeal, but I am slightly scared, and at the same time, really pissed off. I feel like my waking moments are now devoted to the Orange Clown or as I call that smelly, criminal, rapist insurrectionist – Orangina.

However, I know there are others who are downright terrified for their very lives, safety and existence. ICE raids have now become commonplace. Terrified Hispanic people are not reporting to work for fear of being captured and deported. People have started carrying their passports around just in case ICE stops them and they have to prove they are U.S. citizens, me included. My mother even does it now, too.

WE SHOULDN’T HAVE TO DO THIS!!!! THIS IS NOT NORMAL!!!!

Oh, and speaking of ICE, I just read about an 11-year-old Hispanic girl in Texas who committed suicide because her classmates bullied her, telling her that her parents were going to get deported and she would be left all alone.

INTOLERABLE!!!!

And make no mistake, Orangina is coming after ALL OF US! Or I should say those of us who are POC, members of the Alphabet Community, women, the undocumented. And those who support DEI and the above segments of the population.

And check out this video below, where Teresa Borrenpohl was dragged out of an Idaho town hall by security guards for asking a question and then heckling the speaker. Fortunately, the security guards have since had their licenses revoked and Ms. Borrenpohl was not seriously injured.

Now, here is the part where hopefully I can be of some help:

Stay calm and FOCUSED!

BREATHE!!!! I mean it, take deep breathes.

Center yourself.

Distract yourself.

Do something you enjoy doing.

Turn off the news!

Do NOT engage with Orangina, i.e. ignore any headlines or articles or anything posted about that thing.

CALL YOUR SENATORS!! Here is the number to the United States Capitol switchboard – (202) 224-3121.

And here is a new app a good friend and colleague just turned me onto – 5 calls. Use it! Call those representatives!!!!! It even provides a list of topics to call on, with SCRIPTS!!!

We are in this fight together. Don’t forget that. Stay strong!

That’s it! Thank you, again, for stopping by. Please return next time when the topic will be how I wish this was 1985 all over again. Weird, huh? Well, come back and see how weird! 🤣😂😉

Until then, please be safe and, as always, mentally well!

P.S. Please check out this excellent article for further tips on coping with this horrible, criminal administration.

DEREK’S DISCLAIMER:  I am not a medical professional, neither am I giving any medical or legal advice. If you are seeking help from a doctor or an attorney, please consult said professionals.  These are my personal thoughts and feelings on the subjects discussed, and my blog is my own personal experiences and journey with mental imbalance.  Thanking you in advance!

I do not own the copyright to any songs or videos listed here. 

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER:  There are products on this page.  By clicking on the links, you will be redirected to that page at no cost to you.  However, I will receive compensation if you purchase something (which I hope you do 😊).

Hi everyone and welcome back!

I previously did a post about how film and primetime television handled gay and lesbian characters. But today, I wanted to be a bit more specific and talk about soap operas and how they handled queer characters. As you know, soap operas are one of my fave genres.

And please click on the banner below on my blog post on gays in film and primetime:

And you know? I realized I left one out of the above, and that was the original Dynasty’s turning Stephen Carrington from gay to straight!! Just like Soap did with Billy Crystal’s character, Jodie Dallas. BULL****!! 🤬🤬

But anyway… let’s dive in.

My first recollection of a gay character on a soap was Dr. Lynn Carson on All My Children back in 1983. Lynn was played by the fabulous Donna Pescow. Her character was an out and proud lesbian, and she was friends with the Devon character (Tricia Pursley). Devon was the daughter of Ellen Dalton (Kathleen Noone). I remember this storyline vividly, because my then 16yo self thought ‘how bold! They are really talking about lesbianism!’ I took great notice of this storyline, as it not only told Lynn’s story, but also had Devon question her own sexuality when she thought she was falling in love with Lynn.

To give some further backstory on Devon, Devon had had some really bad relationships with men up till this point. She even accidentally got pregnant with her daughter, Bonnie, and married the baby daddy. This marriage was a very loveless marriage, and pretty soon Devon found herself having an affair! In the end, she ended up getting divorced, but also leaving the lover, and she basically ended up raising Bonnie on her own.

So, after all of this drama, she thought she was falling for Lynn, which turned out not to be the case. And Lynn gently told her so, and that she wasn’t interested in her anyway! LOL I love that part, because I feel that so many straight people ASSUME that every gay or queer person LOVES and DESIRES everyone of their gender, which isn’t true.

Devon came to the realization that Lynn was correct in her assessment, and they continued to be friends, which I thought was beautiful from the very beginning, the fact that Devon accepted her. Plus, Devon and Lynn became roommates, I think.

I felt the story was done very well, respectfully and tastefully. And I don’t even remember if Lynn expressed any prejudice or bigotry.

My next recollection was in the 90s on One Life to Live with teenager and high school student Billy Douglass, portrayed by THE Ryan Phillippe.

Billy’s character was mainly involved with Joey Buchanan (then Chris McKenna), Clint and Viki’s youngest son. The rumors started, as they often do, and then Billy did confront Joey with the truth, which Joey didn’t want to hear. When it all started to come out, from what I recall, Clint didn’t want Joey to be involved with Billy. And this is when the hate mail for Clint Ritchie began. But that’s another story.

OLTL, I thought, did an EXCELLENT job of handling pretty much everything that could be associated with a gay character:

The harassment.

The some-people-accept-you and some-don’t aspect.

Your parents possibly disowning you (which happened to Billy) and it was the father who did it. The mother eventually came around.

To the gossip (provided by Marty Saybrooke – portrayed by Susan Haskell).

To Billy seeking the counsel of Rev. Andrew Carpenter (Wortham Krimmer). Marty saw them embrace, and she assumed that Andrew was also gay and leading Billy astray, which led to even MORE rumors and homophobia and even Rev. Carpenter getting beaten up!!

And Billy eventually ended up having a boyfriend.

And the subject of AIDS was broached, which brought the AIDS quilt onto the show!!!!!!

Lots of good stuff! And I do applaud OLTL for tackling this.

Viki (Erika Freaking Slezak!!!) got brought in because of Joey, but also because of General Sloan Carpenter (Roy Thinnes), who was also the father of Rev. Carpenter. Sloan also had another son, William, who was gay and who died of AIDS. Now, talk about a homophobic character! Sloan was downright HORRIBLE!! In the beginning, he had nothing but disparaging remarks about his deceased son. It was truly DISGUSTING!

He did basically come around, thanks to Viki. But then she dumped Clint for this clown! Don’t get me started on that ticky tacky subject!! Because it broke Clint and Viki up for DECADES! And it wasn’t until the end of the show in 2012 that it REALLY looked like Clint and Viki were going to get back together, with Clint (by this time Jerry VerDorn of Guiding Light fame) getting on his knee and proposing to Viki at Llanfair!! But I digress!

There was another very notable gay storyline on All My Children when Erica Kane’s beloved daughter, Bianca, came out to her as a lesbian! Talk about a shock and a ratings grabber! A child of Erica Kane’s GAY???? Much less, her daughter. You would think that a daughter of Erica’s would be, well just like her mother. So, I guess that’s why there was Kendall, her other daughter! 😂🤣

Bianca coming out was extraordinarily wonderful! It showed Erica’s non acceptance, which was very realistic. Eventually, Erica came around, and Kendall was very supportive. However, Bianca faced prejudice and an “outing” when Greenlee blabbed about her! Eventually, Bianca had relationships with women, which led to daytime’s first gay kiss in 2003! (Though Luke and Noah from As The World Turns are also credited with the first gay kiss in 2007). So, we can say that Bianca shared the first LESBIAN kiss with Lena (Olga Sosnovska), and Luke (Van Hansis) and Noah (Jake Silbermann) the first gay kiss on daytime!

Also, interesting how in both the Lynn storyline and the Bianca storyline, the writers had them call themselves “gay” rather than “lesbian.” Lesbian. Lesbian. OH LESBIAN!! – Golden Girls fans will get it. 😂😁

Anyway, speaking of Luke and Noah, I did not watch this storyline on As The World Turns, but I most certainly heard all about it, too, back in the late 00s. The character was Luke Snyder, who was Lily and Damian Grimaldi’s son, yet Holden did help raise him. He was involved with Noah, which from what I understand was a coming-of-age love story. And ATWT presented soap’s first gay male supercouple.

Back to AMC, they were the ones who also did daytime’s first transgender story. The character Zoey, was portrayed by Jeffrey Carlson, who I sadly learned passed away in 2023.

Bianca first met Zoey, as Zarf, who was male presenting. But then on New Year’s Eve 2007, Zarf showed up as Zoey to come out to Bianca. However, she wasn’t having it and totally misinterpreted Zoey’s intentions. Please see below:

And I cannot forget about Daniel Colson over on One Life to Live, portrayed by Mark Dobles. Daniel Colson was the DA on OLTL back in 2005. He ended up marrying fellow attorney, Nora Gannon Buchanan, portrayed by the fabulous Hillary Bailey Smith. But unbeknownst to Nora, her new hubby was carrying a secret – three in fact – (1) he was secretly gay! (2) he was involved with a male 20-yo university student, Riley! and (3) he was also a murderer!

I thought OLTL was very bold to tell such a story of an in-the-closet married gay man. I think there were complaints about the story, though, because they also turned him into a killer.

Personally, I enjoyed the story, and the fact that he killed Jen, which had absolutely nothing to do with the gay storyline, didn’t bother me. And I liked Jen, and didn’t want to see her go. However, in retrospect, it would be much better to show the struggles of a queer married man trying to hide/keep his secret. I am telling such a story in my soap opera Fabulous And Gorgeous, because I’ve lived it. As the other man. 😉

As I bring this to a close, I must say that in my opinion, the soaps did a MUCH better job of tackling the Alphabet Community stories than prime time or the movies. It seems that primetime – and especially the movies – wanted to show more of the tragedy, whereas soaps were much more realistic. Gay people exist and live wonderful, vibrant lives. But Hollerwood didn’t want to show that.

The Honorable Mentions:

General Hospital – Brad Cooper and Lucas Jones – (yes, THAT Lucas – Bobbie and Tony Jones’s son!)

One Life to Live – Police officer Oliver Fish and Kyle Lewis!

Days of Our Lives – Will Horton.

Now, before you step away, please check out my Five CBD products from The Derek Store!

Please return next time when I will be talking about how this current cartel – er presidential administration is affecting us. Yes, I am going to go THERE again! So, please stay tuned… Until then, please be safe and as always, mentally well!

DEREK’S DISCLAIMER:  I am not a medical professional, neither am I giving any medical or legal advice. If you are seeking help from a doctor or an attorney, please consult said professionals.  These are my personal thoughts and feelings on the subjects discussed, and my blog is my own personal experiences and journey with mental imbalance.  Thanking you in advance!

I do not own the copyright to any songs or videos listed here. 

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER:  There are products on this page.  By clicking on the links, you will be redirected to that page at no cost to you.  However, I will receive compensation if you purchase something (which I hope you do 😊).

Greetings, my dearest friends! Welcome back!

This week’s topic is how listening to other people got me into trouble, or rather, I should NOT have listened to others and trusted my own instincts. And you should, too. 

How many times – and I do mean – HOW MANY TIMES did I allow myself to be pushed around by others and giving in to what they told me or wanted me to do or even forced me to do?  But I didn’t want to do it, or didn’t feel it was right for me. And after a great deal of rumination, I have come to the conclusion that screw ’em.  I am gonna do what I want, regardless!  Quelle surprise! 😂🤣

I am sure there are those of you have been in the same sinking boat I have found myself in.  You know how it is when some “well-meaning” friend or relative gives you unsolicited advice on how you should handle something important to you or even your whole life.  

People in the entertainment industry hear unsolicited advice A LOT.  Why do I say that?  Because 9 times out of 100, when you tell someone you wish to be an actor or writer or something creative, the first words out of their mouth is – “oh you’re not going to make any money.  You should do something else.”  Or if you are already in it, they’ll ask “are you making any money?  And how much?”  And if you’re an actor, they’ll probably ask “where ya waiting tables?” 😡

Please take my simple advice and if you encounter people or know people who try to belittle your dreams, talk you out of something, etc., and you know in your heart of hearts their “advice” isn’t right, WALK AWAY! Don’t listen! If you make the mistake, you make the mistake. Sometimes that is what life is about, so you learn, grow, and hopefully won’t make the same mistake twice.

I am a firm believer of making your own mistakes and making up your own mind.  Now, I am not suggesting that you shouldn’t listen to advice, because it can be helpful.  But if it is something that is important to you, and it ain’t hurting nobody, then GO FOR IT! And particularly if it’s coming from your heart and soul.

Now, here are Derek’s 10 examples of when I should NOT have listened to others:

1. Way back in childhood when I was told by a classmate, friend and neighbor, Tim Allen, who said I should drop Verene Duvall as a friend because other people were talking about me, saying I was gay, a faggot, etc. They thought Verene and I were a little “too close,” if you catch my drift.  First of all, we were NOT like that!  And secondly, it’s none of your business.  And thirdly, I NEVER had feelings in that direction for him.  And if I did, so what?  Again, none of your business!  But guess what?  I did NOT listen to Tim Allen (and the others), and I continued my friendship with Verene until he moved away after 8th grade, which made me extraordinarily sad. 😓 
2. Listening to Darrell Mitchell, my horrible dead ex, who convinced me to have sex with him without a condom. Well, turns out two years later, after he moved to Atlanta, I found out that he was HIV+, and he denied it.  Fortunately, I turned out to be negative and still am.  But the anguish and torture I went through going through all of those tests!!!! Not to mention thinking I was going to DIE!   
3. My ex-friend Teresa who told me NOT to let Darrell know I was leaving town with my family for vacation.  Her advice was to let him miss me.  BIG MISTAKE.  We broke up (for the first time), which in hindsight may have been a good thing.  But still, that should have been my decision not hers.  Besides, he’s dead now, and Teresa and I are no longer friends.
4. Listening to now-deceased astrologer Michael Washburn when I was in my early 30s telling me I was bisexual!  I mean really!!  I had been an out and proud gay man 10 years prior, and I doubt very seriously that I was going to turn and start liking women.  This caused me mental anguish for YEARS!  In hindsight, what I think he really saw in my chart was that I am ACTUALLY a woman, or at the very least I feel more like a woman than I do a man, but we are not ready to have that conversation.  😉😊
5. I dated a guy once who told me I was wasting my time driving across town to the now-defunct Neighborhood Playhouse, to be in a play where I was only in the opening scene.  I had the opening monologue in Mama Bear, directed by the late Carol Mitchell-Leon, who was a BIG deal in Atlanta theater and film back then.  Mind you, I was later bumped up to play the title character’s grandfather which was a much bigger role, and garnered me a LOT of laughs.  I played the part much better than the predecessor.  Ha!  Oh and the guy I was dating then?  Turned out he lied to me about being HIV+!  Just like Darrell Mitchell!
6. A coworker at that dreadful Children’s Museum told me that my Gay soap opera Fabulous And Gorgeous, “wasn’t going to see the light of television.”  First of all, BITCH, how DARE you make such a statement?  And how the fuck do you know?  This one I took to heart, though, not gonna lie. It made me not believe in myself. 😓  
7. Listening to anybody who tried to “prophesy” over me and say I was meant to write Christian plays or be a Christian motivational speaker.  And do you want to know who said this mess?  Black women who didn’t even know me!  So,  you can see what that was worth.  
8. Yeah, I even went to this church once where the preacher said “All dreams are not of God.”  I took this personally and thought that meant the end of my acting/writing career. It didn’t stop me, though, because screenplays, children’s plays, an entire miniseries, a gay soap opera, a children’s book, and now a published blog, later…   
9. Oh brother listening to my mother about Facebook and how she thinks it is detrimental to me landing a new job!  🤣😂
10.  And anytime I listened to ANYONE who put me down in some form or fashion.  Anyone who bullied me, tried to intimidate me, talked down to me – whether family, bosses, coworkers, so-called friends, or lovers and beaus. SCREW ‘EM ALL!! 🤣😂 

As I bring this to a close, obviously, if it is something very serious and/or even dire, such as you are on drugs or an alcoholic or dating someone who clearly isn’t right for you and others are telling you to knock it off, then I think you should listen to that.

However, something that is close to your heart, such as your desires and dreams, and you have others who wish to pooh pooh those dreams, DON’T LISTEN!

Before you exit, please check out Sesame Care below. It is an alternative to having health insurance that does not prohibit you from seeing a doctor. Sesame Care offers both in-person and telehealth visits. I use them myself!

Well, that’s it, my friends. Please come back next time when the topic will be how soap operas handled queer characters, which is sort of a followup to my “Gays in Hollywood” post. So, stay tuned. In the meantime, please be safe, and as always, MENTALLY WELL!!

DEREK’S DISCLAIMER:  I am not a medical professional, neither am I giving any medical or legal advice. If you are seeking help from a doctor or an attorney, please consult said professionals.  These are my personal thoughts and feelings on the subjects discussed, and my blog is my own personal experiences and journey with mental imbalance.  Thanking you in advance!

I do not own the copyright to any songs or videos listed here. 

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER:  There are products on this page.  By clicking on the links, you will be redirected to that page at no cost to you.  However, I will receive compensation if you purchase something (which I hope you do 😊).

Hello, all!

I do hope this post finds you doing amazingly well!

I wanted to talk about what is THE HUGE thing with practically everyone, and that is Amazon. And I will try to keep it short and sweet. Ha!

Let’s face it, we ALL use Amazon for our deliveries, whether for groceries, medications, or of course, just simply for our packages and orders from one of the biggest online retailers in the world! We order everything from clothes to shoes to cosmetics and electronics and houseware, and everything in between. I even ordered two of my laptops from Amazon!

I believe I have been using Amazon for the last five years or more.

And after all of the ordering I have done (and still do), I am starting to wonder if it is an addiction. First of all, I don’t want to turn something fun and harmless into something it isn’t. So, as I delve into this, I wanted to make that statement. But when does it become an addiction?

I think if you are receiving MULTIPLE packages in a week, you may want to ponder why. Do you REALLY need all that stuff? I have ordered a LOT of things over the past couple of years. And yes, sometimes multiple things in a week. And I must say it is easy and very convenient. I wouldn’t necessarily say I have a problem. 🤔

But we have all seen the memes that show a ridiculously amount of packages piled up outside on someone’s doorstep. Thankfully, that isn’t me. Because I have an eagle eye, and I watch my doorstep like a hawk when expecting a delivery!! 😂🤣😂

I also browse and “internet shop,” on Amazon, my alternative to window shopping, even if I don’t make a purchase. But then, I also stockpile a bunch of stuff into my cart and then save for later, as I am sure we all do. 🤣😂

Let’s face, it shopping on Amazon is a release. It feels really good to know you can order whatever you want with just the touch of a button. And if you also have Prime Video, which typically comes with free shipping, you feel like a God.

It’s like a drug. It makes you feel good. You get that high from shopping.

And if it is during the holidays, phew boy WATCH OUT!! And can we say Black Friday??? Can we say MAJOR DEBT???!!

I would say be careful with your spending, though. Don’t end up like me who had an Amazon credit card, and racked up quite a bill that I am now having to pay off! So, perhaps I DID have an addiction! LOL

So, ask yourself these additional questions:

Do you feel like you are going into debt because of Amazon?

Do you have a lot, and I do mean A LOT of Amazon boxes and leftover packages that you can use to wrap other presents or gifts with?

Do you spend a great deal of time “window shopping” on Amazon?

Do you get an adrenaline rush or high from shopping on Amazon?

Do others talk about you being on Amazon all the time?

Do you feel GUILTY for being on Amazon a lot?

Are you unable to pay your bills because of your Amazon habit?

Do you feel the need to keep it a secret from your spouse, significant other or other loved ones?

Do you feel that online shopping replaces something else missing in your life, such as a significant other? Yes, it sometimes goes back to THAT!

If you are answering mostly yes to these questions, then you may want to think about some sort of a change.

And just so we are clear, this applies to not just Amazon, but other online retailers as well.

Breaking free ain’t easy, folks. But if you do feel like you can’t break the Amazon habit, try some of these steps:

1. Delete the app (because if you’re like me, you downloaded the app).
2. Focus on other things to fill that void or need, because chances are underneath it all, there is something missing in your life.
3. Talk to others who may be in the same boat.
4. Set a STRICT Amazon budget.
5. Give yourself only a certain amount of time to online shop.
6. Save that purchase as a reward for later, for something you wish to treat yourself to.
7. Seek counseling, if necessary.

That’s all, folks! Please join me next time when I discuss how listening to everybody else got me into big trouble. Oy! But until then, please be safe, and by all means, mentally well!

Sources:

DEREK’S DISCLAIMER:  I am not a medical professional, neither am I giving any medical or legal advice. If you are seeking help from a doctor or an attorney, please consult said professionals.  These are my personal thoughts and feelings on the subjects discussed, and my blog is my own personal experiences and journey with mental imbalance.  Thanking you in advance!

I do not own the copyright to any songs or videos listed here. 

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER:  There are products on this page.  By clicking on the links, you will be redirected to that page at no cost to you.  However, I will receive compensation if you purchase something (which I hope you do 😊).

Hello again, my dear lovelies!

Today’s post will be about the Jan Brady of the different generations, THE BEST generation, Generation X! 😉😀

And yes, I am a very PROUD member of Gen X!

Gen X, born between 1964 and 1978, (some say Gen X goes all the way to 1981), are now typically the forgotten generation. Generations such as the Boomers – born between 1946 – 1964 and the Millennials – born between 1981 – 1996, get THE MOST attention.

And they probably do because, let’s face it, they are both WHINERS! lolol

Whereas, we Gen Xers are WINERS!! 🍷🍷🍷😂🤣

Speaking of Jan Brady, from The Brady Bunch, of course, this was definitely one of the shows that Gen X grew up watching, whether in real time or in syndication. And poor Jan was the middle child, just like Gen X being sandwiched between the Boomers and the Mils.

Some key characteristics of us Gen Xers are – well, we have been called feral because we are the latchkey kids from the 70s and 80s, being able to fend for ourselves because our parents and caregivers worked, and we came home to an empty house. We were “left to our own devices.” Now, my grandparents and aunt raised me, as a lot of you know by now. Therefore, my grandmother was always home when I returned from school. My aunt worked and so did my grandfather. However, he subsequently retired when I was about 15.

But I digress.

Starting at the age of 13, they started leaving me home by myself, so they could go shopping or what have you.

I even learned to cook a little bit for myself as a teen. Well, breakfast LOLOL

We are most certainly defined by our GREAT taste in music, considering we grew up during the 70s and 80s, as well as having amazing TV shows and movies!

And we are definitely defined by our 80s Pop Culture!

We are that generation that were raised old school with old school technology, but were on the bridge towards the new technology.

So, we were before cell phones and computers. As a matter of fact, we used libraries to conduct our research, not a computer and definitely not Google (though computers were starting to become a thing at school when I was a senior).

And we used rotary phones and then later push-button phones.

Heck, we even used PAY PHONES!

We are the generation that remembers when stamps were 10 cents.

We are the generation that listened to the radio, and EVERY station had some damn good music!

We remember disco.

Oh and did I mention Gen Xers LOVE to dance?? After all, we grew up with the BEST dance music! We went through disco, 80s pop, R& B and electronic dance, and even into the 90s with HOT club music.

As a matter of fact, I am friends with a small group of gay Gen Xers who love to boogie down at the Heretic whenever they have 70s or 80s dance night! And our age ranges from 50 to 59!!!!!!

When we were out of school for the summers, we played outside all day long, and well into the night. It was when we saw the street lamp, did we even think about going back inside.

We are also the generation that began with Star Wars, from the beginning.

We are the skateboard and rollerskate generation, and we have tons of scars on our legs to prove it. Which by the way, when we got hurt, our parents and caregivers slapped some alcohol and a Band-Aid on it, and we went right back outside to play.

We are also the generation that had to EARN our trophies and medals. We weren’t handed a damn thing, like other generations.

We grew up with iconic TV shows, such as Charlie’s Angels, Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, Starsky & Hutch, Baretta, Good Times, The Facts of Life, Diff’rent Strokes, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and heck The Wonderful World of Disney and even Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom!

And oh boy did we have movies and TV shows that scared the CRAP out of us!! I mean, in addition to the Fembots on The Bionic Woman, we also had this little gem below, Trilogy of Terror, starring the late Karen Black.

Watching the powers that be in Hollerwood try and reboot certain TV shows and movies from the 70s and 80s has been a complete and total disaster! OMG! Starting with Charlie’s Angels. I remember when the movie with Drew Barrymore and company came out back in 2000, a large group of us Gen Xers went to see it. We walked out of that theater numb and stunned. Just stunned. Stunned over how BAD it was. I understand that they were trying to go for the camp and for the silliness, but it was just horrible. I know that today’s TV remakes try to spoof the originals. Now, I like a good spoof just like anyone, but it takes great skill to be able to spoof something well while remaining RESPECTFUL of the original.

Then TPTB TRIED to reboot Charlie’s Angels as a TV series at least THREE times that I remember. And each and every one FAILED MISERABLY!! As a matter of fact, none of them got past the first few episodes.

Speaking of iconic TV show reboots that FAILED horribly, the Bionic Woman reboot from many moons ago, was a TOTAL DISASTER!! I mean when you start off saying you are not going to do that “slow-mo shit” and totally disrespecting the original, you are going to fucking fail! And they did! This new Jaime Sommers coming in saying she would work for the modern-day OSI as long as she had weekends off and could get major medical and dental was laughable. And the very idea of having this new/faux Jaime Sommers having sex in the men’s room???? EWWWWWW!!

Oh and don’t get me started on the new Wonder Woman. 🤮🤮🤮 I did see it when it first came out, and I was absolutely HORRIFIED!! It was sooooo bad! It stunk to high heaven. And when I mentioned it to a couple of (gay) friends, they asked well, did she at least do the spin? I told them, no. They were both like ‘then I’m not going to see it then!!’ 😂🤣😂 Everything about it was dreadful. From that person’s BAD ACTING, to her costume, to the fact that she tried to seduce Steve Trevor. I was totally grossed out!

My point is STOP messing with the 70s/80s classics and come up with your own stuff, Hollyweird!!

Now. It is time for me to do a little bit of throwing stones at the other generations. Don’t say you haven’t been warned. 😉😉

Let’s start with the Boomers.

In my opinion, the booms are not what they used to be. Now, they are SO DAMN SERIOUS! I don’t know what happened to them! I basically learned everything I know from the booms, actually.

When I came out, I only wanted older men, who just happened to be Boomers. Today, I still want older men, but I have to be careful because, again, they are super serious and cautious now.

Speaking of being so serious, some of these millennials think they have reinvented the wheel on certain topics, we are talking everything from biology to the English language. And I think you know where I’m going with this. A super sensitive lot. I try to avoid them as much as possible. Because if I don’t, I’ll offend some with my big mouth. 🤣🤣

And the pronouns thingy, UGH!! In my opinion, this was meant for those individuals who were transitioning, who realized they are indeed a different gender, or people who are non-binary. Now, EVERYBODY and their damn mama is asking ‘what are your pronouns?’ It has become lame, overdone, and rather stupid. It is tone deaf and rather forced. It is like a fad now, not the original intended meaning. Str8 people should leave it alone. This is not your bandwagon! And for the record, before you ask what my pronouns are, which are none of your business by the way, try asking what my name is first. Just a thought.

And the “hashtags!” Oh PUH-LEEZE! It’s a damn number sign, a tic-tac-toe sign! Not sure if this was an original millennial thing or not, but it is also vastly overused.

Let’s talk music of today. Just what the hell kind of music do the millennials have to offer? GARBAGE! I mean, this music of today TOTALLY SUCKS! I shall refrain from mentioning certain “artists,” but their music is so damn tone deaf. And there is only so much sampling of greater music you can do. It all sounds the same. And the artists all now sound the same.

In summation, Gen Xers are in our own little world. We are the ultimate in chill. We LOVE to have fun and party and basically say screw the world and what you think. And maybe we really never grew up, but who cares! 😂🤣🤣🤣

But in a lot of ways, we had to grow up rather fast, and maybe now we are simply enjoying ourselves.

We are the generation that doesn’t take itself as seriously as our predecessors and the ones after us.

We are also the generation who really just doesn’t give a FUCK!!

So, please don’t come for the Gen Xers, because we will eat you ALIVE!!! 😁

Please come back next week when I talk about MY AMAZON ADDICTION! Child, I think this affects ALL OF US! 😂 So stay tuned, and until the next time, please be safe and mentally well!

DEREK’S DISCLAIMER:  I am not a medical professional, neither am I giving any medical or legal advice. If you are seeking help from a doctor or an attorney, please consult said professionals.  These are my personal thoughts and feelings on the subjects discussed, and my blog is my own personal experiences and journey with mental imbalance.  Thanking you in advance!

I do not own the copyright to any songs or videos listed here. 

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER:  There are products on this page.  By clicking on the links, you will be redirected to that page at no cost to you.  However, I will receive compensation if you purchase something (which I hope you do 😊).

Hey, everybody. So, I decided that regardless of who won or lost, that I was going to do a quick blog post on the subject. Of course, I was hoping that I would be writing one that was very upbeat, believing that Kamala was going to win. But unfortunately and rather sadly, that is not the case.

I am going to do this short post, albeit, with some venting no doubt, but I also wish to offer some hope and mental health skills to deal with this travesty.

So, yes. By now, we all know that the orange THING “won.” I put won in quotes, because quite honestly, I have my suspicions on that. And for the moment, I will just leave it at that.

And as of this writing, he is adding some of the most heinous and despicable cast of horrid characters to his cabinet, if you can even call it a cabinet.

A great many of us are not just unhappy with the election results. We are devastated and frightened. And rightfully so. Because if this POS is allowed to do what he wants to do, that means our democracy, freedoms and possibly even lives will be gone.

I have no doubt that he is going to execute his second term via a Hitler playbook, and those of us who know history and have studied it, know exactly what I am talking about.

I wish to now speak on those MAGGOTS, er I mean MAGA “people” who think that we should just return to normal and all be friends. Bullshit! I am your enemy! As far as I am concerned, you are all a bunch of Nazis! People like me – gay and black – are no longer safe around you. Well, let me include women, POC and marginalized people – are not safe around you. And you have the affrontery and utter gall to think we can just let bygones be bygones. The very idea of offering a hand across the aisle in friendship and solidarity is utter bullocks and nonsense, and it ain’t happening! And I am not the only one who feels that way.

Anyone who voted for that hot mess is NOT your friend.

There are even people in my camp who are espousing some of the same garbage. NO!! Stop it! Do you honestly think these Nazis care about you? Because they don’t!

I even have a friend, whom I THINK voted for Kamala who is saying that, well, maybe now the 🍊Shitler can unify this country and bring everyone together. PUH-Lease!! Ha! That’s a hot one. Are you that dense? Someone who did NOTHING but espouse hatred, division and chaos, you think suddenly is going to bring everyone together?? All he did was tear this country apart!

I also find it quite laughable that the MAGAs even have the audacity to say that we are the hateful ones. Ha! That’s a good one. Nice try at a feeble attempt at gaslighting. So, this is my very simple response to that bull: Well, we learned it from you. But most importantly, we learned it from your hateful, orange leader. 🎤

And my dears, I have no doubt that he intends to deport all undocumented immigrants – and I do mean ALL – because I get the feeling it isn’t just Hispanics, but other noncitizens as well.

I have no doubt that he will enact Project 2025, though he tried his best to distance himself from it.

I have no doubt that, yes, he will be sending people like me to concentration camps.

So, again, please stop with the hope that NuHitler is going to unite anything.

Now. For the hope part. And I do hope this helps.

Please DO NOT give into fear and despair. This is NOT the time to do that. Please stay aware, informed and prepared.

My advice is to conduct your life as you would anyway. Write that screenplay. Write that novel. Buy that home. Etc., and etc. HOWEVER, please consider an alternate plan to make sure you are safe. And I don’t know what that may look like for you. In other words, as much as I hate to say this, have some sort of plan to flee the country, if all you are doing is going across the border, if you catch my drift.

GET YOUR PASSPORT NOW!! I am so glad I have mine, and I got it two years ago when I went to Europe.

Stock up on supplies. I am not trying to sound like a doomsdayer or conspiracy theorist, but you may wish to consider this.

Get a gun, honey. Just sayin’.

I honestly would suggest packing what I am going to call a “flee” bag in case you literally have to flee in the middle of the night kind of thing. Packed with clothes – for all seasons – medicines, phone numbers, bottled water, First Aid, etc.

If nothing else, at least consider moving from red states to blue states.

Get your affairs in order! Whatever that may mean for you!!

KEEP CASH ON HAND!

I have stated the dramatic stuff. 😁🤣 (And it may not come to that, hopefully. But somehow be prepared!)

Now, for stuff you can do for your mental health.

Breathe. Yes, BREATHE! And deeply.

Remain calm.

And self care is the key. Exercise if that is your thing. Drink plenty of water!!

Give in to nature, i.e. go for a good walk.

Focus on fun stuff you like to do.

Yes, eat that junk food, honey!

Drink the booze!

Talk to a friend. And or family. Who also voted for Kamala! I have already spoken to SEVERAL friends since this NIGHTMARE has gone down, whether on the phone or via texting or social media. Because truthfully, it is safer in numbers.

Get together with friends and loved ones.

Give fierce hugs!!!

Do what makes YOU HAPPY!!

Please hang onto hope. I always say “expect the best, but prepare for the worst.” Because I have a feeling this ain’t over, folks. Just stay tuned, and again stay informed and prepared.

Because I REFUSE to believe that the majority of this country prefer that horrid, ugly hot mess as dictator. Yeah, dictator, not President because that is exactly what it wants to be.

Anyway, just HANG IN THERE!! And we need to hang on to each other (those who voted for Kamala). 😉😁

Thank you so much for stopping by. I know this may have been a really hard post to read, but I hope I was able to offer some sort of comfort. Anyway, I am back with some regular posts next week. So, please stay tuned.

Until then, please stay safe and be mentally well!

DEREK’S DISCLAIMER:  I am not a medical professional, neither am I giving any medical or legal advice. If you are seeking help from a doctor or an attorney, please consult said professionals.  These are my personal thoughts and feelings on the subjects discussed, and my blog is my own personal experiences and journey with mental imbalance.  Thanking you in advance!

I do not own the copyright to any songs or videos listed here. 

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER:  There are products on this page.  By clicking on the links, you will be redirected to that page at no cost to you.  However, I will receive compensation if you purchase something (which I hope you do 😊).

Hello, all!

I have decided to keep it light and airy this week, and short and sweet, because I know I shall be discussing some heavy-hitting topics this fall. Oh I don’t know, like the current CARTEL/CABAL U.S. ADMINISTRATION! To name a few! 🤣😂

So, today I am choosing to discuss my love of The Three Stooges and other things that I seemed to have returned to either from childhood, my teen years or young adulthood. And why.

So, without further ado, introducing all of the Stooges: Moe Howard, Curly Howard, Shemp Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser and Curly Joe.

I was first introduced to The Three Stooges when I was a child, of course. I immediately fell in love with them. The first three appearing in the original shorts were Moe, Larry and Curly. Then it was Moe, Larry and Shemp. Later it became Moe, Larry and Joe Besser. And finally, Moe, Larry and Curly Joe for the movies and the cartoons.

They were simply HIGH-LARIOUS! Curly and his crazy antics and woo woo woo’s brought many laughs, and Moe slapping him and slapping Larry, too.

The zaniness continued when Shemp came along. Shemp’s nuttiness and vocal tics – hebehebehebe’s along with Moe’s perpetual bossiness and Larry just standing there either observing or falling victim to the arguments between Moe and/or Curly and Shemp. All of the insanity kept me LOLing! 🤣🤣🤣

It’s hard to explain the appeal, because at first glance people could say that Moe is a bully and has anger issues. But it just works, because to me it is simply absurd for him to just get mad and pop off like that. A slap here, an eye poke there. And sometimes Moe used hard, blunt and even dangerous objects to get his point across. However, Moe also got his in return either from one of the other Stooges or the silly circumstances the boys were involved in.

To give a little background, Moe Howard, Jerome “Curly” Howard, and Samuel “Shemp” Howard were brothers in real life, all born with the surname of Horwitz, which they later changed for the act. Shemp was the elder of the other two, then Moe, and Curly was the baby. There was another brother, who was not a part of the act. Larry Fine was of no relation.

And what a lot of people don’t know is that Shemp was actually one of the original stooges along with Moe and Larry. Not only that, but Ted Healey headed the trio as Ted Healey and HIS Stooges. Then Shemp wanted to go solo, and then in stepped his younger brother Curly. Moe, Larry and Curly got out from under Ted Healey, who later died. And that is the trio we were introduced to as kids – Moe, Larry and Curly.

And what a lot of people may not know is that Curly actually had a full head of beautiful CURLY hair, hence the name. However, Moe and Larry convinced him to shave his head to give him a unique look versus Moe’s bowl haircut and Larry’s frizzy, afro-like hair.

Speaking of Larry’s afro – 🤣🤣😂, that really wasn’t the way his hair was normally styled. After taking a shower, the group noticed how frizzy and unkempt his hair was, and they convinced him to keep it that way for the act.

Anyway, after more than a decade of performing together, unfortunately, Curly suffered a series of strokes and was, therefore, unable to perform, and Shemp stepped back in. You can even notice Curly’s decline in the last several shorts he appeared. His speech was slower. His voice had dropped into a lower octave. And he was even thinner. It was very sad.

I think my favorite Stooge from childhood was Curly. And I really liked Moe. But now my fave Stooge is Larry. And I am not the only one who feels that way. There are PLENTY of fans who now watch Larry and his facial expressions and reactions to the other two. Not to mention the fact that Larry has a LOT of funny moments of his very own.

Okay, so let’s just discuss the elephant in the room with regard to any Stooge fan. And that is Joe Besser.

So, a LOT of Stooge fans cannot stand Joe Besser. Joe Besser actually had a solo career before he became a stooge. And you can find his shorts (along with Shemp’s) on YouTube. Apparently, he was adamant when he became a Stooge, that he did NOT want to get hit. Well, if you become a Stooge, that is a HUGE part of it. Moe is gonna hit you. And sometimes Larry, too. As a matter of fact, Larry offered to step in and take the brunt of the blows. And for me, that is one of the reasons I am not a Joe Besser fan. I mean, he’s “okay.” But definitely not my favorite stooge. Over time, he did take some of the hits, and he did have some funny moments. But I think maybe Moe or Columbia, I am not sure, wanted to recapture some of the original Curly magic. And went in the direction of someone who was heavyset like Curly. But it just didn’t work.

Though I will give Joe Besser his props. He played his part as more effeminate and prissy, I suppose, to really be different from the other Stooges, past and present. Some of his schtick was actually pretty funny, such as his trademark “not so loud!” Or “I oughta give you the hot face!” whenever he was smoking a cigar or cigarette.

And Curly Joe I flat out do not like! He said some things about the Stooges I just didn’t appreciate, saying they weren’t that funny. So, he can piss off.

The Curly Joe era ushered in a plethora of Stooge movies. So, that I am definitely okay with, just not with him. As a matter of fact, there were a lot of Stooge cartoons during that time. And the Stooges ended up with a whole new generation of fans!

They had become so popular, that they were even going to star in their own television series! Unfortunately, they filmed just the pilot, and it didn’t go anywhere. I believe there were two attempts at this, once when Shemp was a part of the group. And then later with Curly Joe.

But anyhoo, I rediscovered The Stooges during the pandemic. I’m pretty sure it was first through YouTube, and then I realized that MeTV does a Stooge marathon on Saturdays from 6-8 p.m. And now I just can’t get enough of them, to the point of actually purchasing the entire DVD set of the shorts – not the movies with Curly Joe as most of them are already on YouTube. But so are the Stooge shorts, but someone would put them up and then take them back down. And I just got sick of that and decided to buy my own.

And to cinch the deal, I even purchased a brand-new Blu-ray player! 🤣😂

The Stooges give me so much pleasure and laughs!! I HAVE to watch them EVERY DAY!! Whether I am working from home or not, the Stooges are going to be on at some point during the day AND night for me!

And believe you me, there are a legion of Stooge fans out there. As a matter of fact, I am subscribed to a couple of Stooge fan pages on Facebook. Also, some of the Stooges’ own relatives, particularly the Stooge grandsons, sons and great-grandsons have a Stooge channel on YouTube where they perform as their predecessors and post and show Stooge clips. They even post the shorts in order, as well as the cartoons! The Stooges are simply going to live FOREVER! And that is just fine by me.

Now, I have to mention some other returns from yesteryear, some of which also got restarted during the height of the pandemic and shutdown and some most recently.

I have mentioned my return to reading Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys, treasured books I enjoyed as a child. I even started purchasing them again, picking up where I left off as a kid. I mean, the writing is dated. BUT I still enjoy going along with Nancy and the Hardys trying to figure out who did what and who is behind the mysteries!

I am currently reading The Hardy Boys’, The Swamp Monster, no. 83 in the series.

And on Friday nights, I will watch Friday the 13th, The Series, as well as Friday Night Videos from my high school days during the 80s!

And now even on Saturdays it is a return to The Adventures of Superman and also Wonder Woman – the REAL Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter!!!!!!! Also, I like to put on Soul Train, Justice League, Sid & Marty Krofft and American Bandstand!!

Sundays sometimes it is Mama’s Family, Solid Gold, or Casey Kasem’s American Top 40, all of which I watched (or listened to) religiously when I was in high school on the weekends.

All of this is just as I remembered from those exact days when they all originally aired.

I am just a nostalgia junkie!

Now, I know why my Aunt Eva always used to love to watch westerns when I was growing up, because that is what SHE watched when SHE was growing up!

And definitely I must thank the heavens for the Roku Channel, which has Charlie’s Angels, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, Dennis the Menace, Hart to Hart, et al!!

And it has done wonders for my mental health!! I just immediately go into my happy place when rewatching any and all of these great shows.

And now that I am subscribed to Philo TV, I can also catch The Facts of Life, The Rockford Files, The STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO, CHEYENNE, and of course The Golden Girls, just to mention a few!

Please tell me what are your nostalgic go tos and returns. And if you are also a Stooge fan, by all means, PLEASE let me know!

Oh and don’t forget to catch the Stooges on MeTV every Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m., EST!!!!!!! 😯😛

Thank you so much for stopping by. Before you leave, please check out what I have in store for you at the Derek Store.

Please come back next week when I shall discuss my favorite Generation — GEN X!!! I might have to get a little down and dirty with this one. So, you won’t wanna miss. Until then, please be safe and, as always, mentally well!

DEREK’S DISCLAIMER:  I am not a medical professional, neither am I giving any medical or legal advice. If you are seeking help from a doctor or an attorney, please consult said professionals.  These are my personal thoughts and feelings on the subjects discussed, and my blog is my own personal experiences and journey with mental imbalance.  Thanking you in advance!

I do not own the copyright to any songs or videos listed here. 

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER:  There are products on this page.  By clicking on the links, you will be redirected to that page at no cost to you.  However, I will receive compensation if you purchase something (which I hope you do 😊).

Greetings, all! Welcome back to another round of my warped mind and what it thinks! Ha!

So, lately I have been on the OCD track, which is really what my blog posts are designed for, actually. However, I wanted to change things up a bit.

Today, I’m talking about how my Alphabet Community, i.e. the LGBTQ+ community, has been portrayed and depicted in Hollywood films and TV. This will mostly be geared towards gay men, since that is MY experience. However, I will do my best to include other segments of the Alphabet Community. So, here goes.

Hollywood, at times, wanted to show the tragic side of gay life, the disease (AIDS/HIV) that is “supposed” to be associated with our “lifestyle,” which I find utterly repugnant and grotesquely out of touch. Every gay man does not have AIDS, neither is every gay man HIV+. And there is nothing wrong with anyone who happens to be either! But Hollywood seemed to only want to depict that in such films as An Early Frost with Aidan Quinn, Philadelphia with Tom Hanks, and Longtime Companion with an all-star cast.

Don’t get me wrong, these movies most certainly served a purpose in telling stories with regard to the AIDS epidemic. Education goes a long way. So, I applaud that aspect.

However, there is also a fun, light side – and even a romantic side – to gay life. This was brilliantly depicted in Big Eden for example, with a very nice romantic tale where even hets were behind the pairing of two gay men. Truthfully, it could have been written for a heterosexual couple, because it wasn’t just about homosexuality, imo. It was about two people in love. Now, there would be naysayers that would say that it was such an unrealistic portrayal. Well, I have seen MANY het romantic movies that to me were unrealistic. So, there.

Now, I am going to discuss two series, one that I feel got it right with regard to my community. And another that got it horribly wrong, at least towards the end.

Let’s start with the horribly wrong.

Soap

Way back in the day, in 1977 to be exact, there was this hot new show on ABC called Soap. I am sure a lot of you Gen Exers and Boomers remember it. The show featured notable stars such as the fabulous Katherine Helmond, Cathryn Damon, Robert Mandan, Richard Mulligan, Billy Crystal, Jennifer Salt, Ted Wass, Diana Canova, and of course Robert Guillaume as Benson. Heck, I could also do a blog post on how blacks have been portrayed in Hollywood. Hmph. Think I will. 🤔

But I digress.

Now, I am going to focus on Billy Crystal, a star that EVERYONE knows, who has gone on to do a plethora of wonderful movies. He is a heterosexual actor who portrayed a homosexual character named Jodie Dallas, on Soap. This was, of course, before Billy Crystal really took off.

I remember thinking then as a 10yo kid how bold, how cool, how exciting to see a homosexual character being displayed on national TV. During this time, I was the subject of bullying and being called sissy, faggot or punk by some of my classmates. But to see another homosexual male, and on TV, truly piqued my curiosity and interest.

As a matter of fact, Jodie Dallas was a HUGE first for national TV, a gay character!!! Big deal for the times.

They even gave Jodie a boyfriend, Dennis, played by former athlete Bob Seagren, who was another one of those actors from back in the day who was in EVERTHING, including Wonder Woman. And yes, Bob Seagren was also heterosexual. (Makes me wonder why heterosexual actors were always portraying gay characters and gay actors weren’t.) 🤔

Jodie was very much involved with Dennis. And at one point, Jodie was even considering a sex change, which was another bold move on the part of this very forward-thinking show.

They never took it that far, because then the show took a turn that I absolutely disliked with the Jodie character.

I could tolerate a little bit of the fruit jokes and intolerance from the other characters on the show. After all that is exactly how narrow-minded heterosexual people think. But the one thing that I could NOT tolerate was having Jodie sleep with a woman named Carol, portrayed by Rebecca Balding, and get her pregnant. I think it was the whole thing where women used to think they could change a gay man by sleeping with him. Or the curiousity angle and/or ‘try it. You might like it’ BS. And that is the stupid decision the show decided to go with.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, but the last season of the show, they had him fall in LOVE with a GASP – WOMAN!

It was Maggie Chandler played by the fabulous Barbara Rhoades, a detective who was helping Jodie find his kidnapped daughter Wendy, by Carol. Don’t ask. In the process, the two slept together and fell in love. And I must mention how freakish the whole thing was, I mean not just because Jodie was supposed to be gay, but the fact that Barbara Rhoades was a whole foot taller than Billy Crystal!! It was clownish, in my opinion, and a joke. I was PISSED!! Because they left the show on a cliffhanger where Jodie had regressed to a 90yo Jewish man (again don’t ask) with Maggie vowing to stand by him until he, hopefully, snapped out of it! DUMB!!

And to this day I am STILL pissed about that. And the fact that they ended the show on several high drama cliffhangers that never got resolved!

So, if they had written Jodie as bisexual, I wouldn’t have had a problem with it. But Soap acted as though being gay was just a fad, a phase that men may go through. And I realize there is fluidity. So, again, if they had gone in that direction, I and others, would not have had a problem.

Queer as Folk

Now for a show that got it right, as far as I am concerned. Queer as Folk. QAF came decades after Soap, and blew the doors off Soap with its portrayal of gay men, in my opinion. They basically said FUCK THAT Jodie Dallas nonsense. !! I am who I am, and there isn’t a damn thing you hets can do about it!!!!! 🤣😂🤣

By the way, QAF is the American version that aired on Showtime from 2000 to 2005, and usually during the summer. So, you had to wait an entire year for the next season! And baby, they had some helluva amazing cliffhangers!

The show was so damn good, we used to have viewing parties back in the day! And some were at my place! 😁🤣🍹

Queer as Folk starred Hal Sparks, Gale Harold, Randy Harrison, Peter Paige, Thea Gill, and Miss Sharon Gless! Yasssss! Sharon Gless was Hal Sparks’s character’s mom, but she was like a mom to all of them. Her character was soooooooo pro gay! The show featured gays and lesbians, in real-life situations.

At the time I was a gay in her 30s, so I could definitely relate to the relationships, the crushes, the unrequited love, the cruising, and of course the partying, especially at the bars. Also, the dancing and the “backroom” activities. 😂🤣😂🤣😎

And in Derek-style retrospect, I can see myself in ALL of the gay male characters:

Brian, the whore (Gale Harold).

Michael, wide-eyed and STILL in love with/carrying a torch for Brian, (Hal Sparks).

Emmett, the flaming queen/wide-eyed optimist (Peter Paige).

Justin (Randy Harrison), the young gay/twink determined to have his man, and in this case it was Brian.

Ted, the put-upon gay man who NEVER gets what he wants romantically and who ALWAYS gets his heart broken. LOL (Scott Lowell).

And believe it or not, I have been all levels of these gay men.

So, I could definitely relate.

Soap did NOT show any of this with Jodie. Only his on-again/off-again relationship with Dennis. But QAF took things to A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL!!!!

It was soooo realistic, including the sometimes VERY graphic sex, with the lesbians and with the gay men! STEAMY HOT!

There was bathroom sex, too. Not that that is typical gay stuff, mind you. 😉😉😁

I honestly thought it was so well done, and so timely. At the time. We are talking the early 00s. Times have certainly changed with the advent of the apps and all.

I would also like to add, that yes, QAF had a gay character who did have AIDS and SPOILER ALERT – who eventually did pass away, but from a complication due to his HIV medication. Jack Wetherall portrayed Vic Grassi, Michael’s uncle and Deb’s (Sharon Gless) brother.

And sadly, there was a gay bashing incident involving Justin’s character.

Oh and honorable mention to Noah’s Arc, the all gay black male TV show on Logo.

Other early TV shows depicting homosexuality that really stood out to me:

Starsky & Hutch – “Death in a Different Place.” A season 3 episode that focuses on the death of a childhood mentor and police colleague of Starsky’s who is found dead in a place known as a gay male hangout. I have not seen the episode in ages, but from what I recall it was handled with taste and sensitivity, without so much of the “shaming” as certain generations like to call it. And it also put in check, so to speak, Starsky & Hutch’s own homophobia. And the banter between the two at the end was cute. 😉

Charlie’s Angels even went there – TWICE!! Season 3 episode “Angels in Springtime” and “Caged Angel” in Season 4. Both episodes touched on lesbianism. In “Angels in Springtime,” it is quite evident that two of the women are lovers. Not to mention the fact that the angels go undercover at this spa that is for WOMEN ONLY! No men allowed at all! And the way the female doctor subtly comes onto Kelly is VERY obvious!

“Caged Angel” has Kris (Cheryl Ladd) going behind bars, just the way her sister Jill did with Kelly and Sabrina back in season 1’s “Angels in Chain.” However, this time in “Caged Angel,” the lesbianism is downright blatant, with Shirley Stoler’s character hinting that Kris will have to put out in order to get protection from the other female inmates. LOLOL

The Golden Girls gave us a good lesson in “tolerance” and acceptance. By the way, I truly HATE the word tolerance with regards to people and their sexual orientation. It makes it sound like you are eating your spouse’s horrible cooking because you have to. NO! The Alphabet Community does not need your tolerance. Your acceptance, yes. Your tolerance, no. You may agree to disagree with me on that.

Anyhoo, back to GG, I am referring to the episode where Blanche’s younger brother Clayton (Monte Markham) came out to Blanche. She could NOT accept it. Not at first, but at the end of the episode she did.

And she REALLY had to be taught a lesson when Clayton comes back in a later episode, but this time with a man he intends to marry. And this time it is Sophia, of all people, who teaches her a VERY brilliant lesson in acceptance by simply asking her why did she want to marry her late-husband George. Blanche’s response is “We loved each other. We wanted to make a lifetime commitment, wanted everyone to know.” Then Sophia responds with, “That’s what Doug and Clayton want too. Everyone wants someone to grow old with. And shouldn’t everyone have that chance.” MIC DROP!!

Next up, I am going to make a list of some notable “gay” and “lesbian” movies. And next to them whether I thought it TRULY captured the realism of the Alphabet Community with a simple yes or no. Again, feel free to disagree.

Here goes:

The Children’s Hour starring Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine. NO! (really good movie, but no!)

SPOILER ALERT:

And I was appalled to see that Shirley MacLaine hanged herself at the end of The Children’s Hour because she realized she was a lesbian, who had sexual feelings for Audrey Hepburn. I really enjoyed the movie, but that ending was very tragic and albeit meant to shock us. But was it necessary? Couldn’t Shirley MacLaine’s character have simply left the school? What sort of message are you sending impressionable gays and lesbians? ‘Oh, I have homosexual feelings, therefore, I should die? I should kill myself? My feelings are NOT valid???’

I understand it was a different time and all, but when I look back upon it, I find the ending a little disturbing.

The same with Suddenly Last Summer starring Elizabeth Taylor. And no, I won’t give away the ending. But I will say that with gay men of today, you’ve got a bunch of men surrounding them, typically they want sex!! Not the ending to Suddenly Last Summer. Just sayin’. 🤣😂. And I guess Hollerwood isn’t ready to have that conversation. 🤔😉 Oh and by the way, I vote NO!!! 🤣😂😂

An Early Frost starring Aidan Quinn. Sad but YES!

Making Love starring Harry Hamlin and Michael Ontkean, and yes – KATE JACKSON as the wife! YES!

Brokeback Mountain starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. YES AND NO!!

Cruising starring Al Pacino. YES! Sorta. 😂

Longtime Companion starring Bruce Davison, Dermot Mulroney, Campbell Scott, etc. Sadly YES.

Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks. YES, SORTA, BUT NOT REALLY. 🤣😂🤣

The Boys in The Band. HELL YES!! (I was fortunate enough to do the play back in 2008!! I had such a BLAST doing it!!)

Milk starring Sean Penn. YES, but it’s a true story, so then there’s that.

Angels in America. All star cast, including Meryl Streep. YES! But that angel sex scene, HELL NO!!

Bound starring Gina Gershon, Jennifer Tilly, and yes, CHRISTOPHER MELONI!! Interesting concept. So, I’ll vote YES.

Boys Don’t Cry starring Hilary Swank. I’ll say, YES, but the tragedy of the TRUE story really got me. So sad.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch, starring John Cameron. Good movie. Strange, but NO.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert, starring Terence Stamp. YES, BUT IN A CUTE WAY.

Love! Valour! Compassion! starring Jason Alexander, John Benjamin Hickey, Justin Kirk, et al. Honorable mention to Nathan Lane in the Broadway version. YES!

Big Eden. Arye Gross and Eric Schweig, and the fabulous Louise Fletcher and Nan Martin!! YES, BUT IN A CUTE WAY. ❤️❣️😂

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. Starring three hets as drag queens. Yeah. I said what I said. Wesley Snipes, John Leguizamo and Patrick Swayze. I’ll still vote a reluctant YES, because I did enjoy the movie and the rallying of acceptance behind the three leads.

Then there’s the camp:

“Initially, most of these Hollywood depictions were in the context of campy, funny characters, often in drag on some sort of adventure or farce, while teaching a lesson in tolerance, if not equality.^[3] Drag portrayals also made a comeback in many films of the 1990s, notably The Birdcage (1996), starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane, Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), also starring Robin Williams, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), starring Guy Pearce, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), starring Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Leguizamo.”

And I have already mentioned some of the “campy” gay movies above in the form of …Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Too Wong Foo. And don’t get me wrong, these movies do have a place in our lives and society. However, I am wondering if these types of movies are geared more towards a heterosexual audience for the laughs, and/or that’s how they see us. And perhaps the gay-man-has-AIDS is more for the gay audience, because a heterosexual producer/filmmaker thinks that is something we can relate to, that is our sole experience.

I must say at this point that it seems that Hollywood doesn’t want gay couples to live happily ever after or that it all must end tragically, as in Brokeback Mountain. 🤔

Or having our story end tragically or just flat out killed, as in Boys Don’t Cry, Milk, and Brokeback Mountain.

Personally, I think we embody all of the things, the good and the bad. There is no sure fire ‘oh this is a gay movie’ because it has the “gay things/elements” in it. Obviously, there are things the Alphabet Community doesn’t have to worry about that the het community does and vice versa. However, there are certainly universal elements that bonds BOTH groups, such as LOVE. And yes, death and dying that has NOTHING to do with AIDS or an immuno-compromised disease.

Also careers and making money. Buying a house, etc. Or simply SURVIVING in a world that doesn’t care and won’t hand you anything.

Again, I am all for education, i.e. educating audiences as to a side of life they may know nothing about. Soap operas do it all the time, whether it is shining a light on breast cancer, mental illness, rape, homelessness, etc. However, I just don’t want the het community to think the bars and cruising and disease and drag queens are the ONLY things we are about.

So, what am I doing to combat this nonsense? I am writing MY OWN GOTDARN GAY TV SERIES! 😁😱😉❤️

Mine is set in the 1970s, and it does depict gay men in the bars, but it also depicts their lives OUTSIDE of the bars and in real-life and sometimes surreal-life situations. In other words, I decided that whatever the hets can do in film/TV, so can the gays!!! ‘Cept I know nothing ’bout birthin’ no babies! Ha!

So, I cannot do this blog post without discussing str8 actors playing gay roles. For some reason, this has always bothered me a little bit. And why? Well, because str8 actors have, for the most part, always played str8 roles. However, it seems that actors in the Alphabet Community have had to always portray hetero roles, too.

And you have those patrons who utter the stupid phrase – “it’s called ACTING!” Well, what do you know about it? And furthermore, you are correct in the assertion that your sexual orientation shouldn’t matter when it comes to portraying a part, because that character is not you. You are stepping into the shoes of another person, so to speak.

However, it is almost as if gay male actors – and I shall use them as the example – shy away from parts that are homosexually oriented, for lack of a better term. And I wonder if it is because they don’t want to be “typecast.” It’s as if portraying gay says that you are “playing yourself,” (and I’ll get to that in a minute), but playing str8 shows your versatility as an actor.

And I suppose a str8 man portraying gay shows his versatility.

But when a str8 man portrays a character that is his own sexual orientation, no one says anything. But a gay man portraying his sexual orientation, he is playing himself. And yes, I have been told that a couple of times, which infuriates me. Can we say HOMOPHOBIA? And yes, this came from str8 male actors.

I don’t think that gay actors are given the same grace as str8 actors. I really don’t. It’s almost as if we as gay actors have something extra to prove, whereas str8 actors are automatically given the benefit of the doubt.

A Tom Hanks or a Heath Ledger or a Jake Gyllenhaall or a Sean Penn portrays a gay man, they are up for an Oscar. A Nathan Lane or a Billy Porter or a RuPaul does it, again they are playing themselves. And no one cares.

In summation, the Alphabet Community has certainly gotten its due. However, I still believe we have further to go in terms of how we are portrayed and the stories we can tell. There are new shows out there, thankfully. However, it seems they are only on cable or streaming platforms. We need to be more mainstream, in my opinion.

I have covered a lot of ground in this post, yet I feel like I have a great deal more to say. I know there are other TV shows and movies that I have missed. So, perhaps we will pick this topic up at a later time. Stay tuned… 😉

Thank you so much for following me on yet another rant. Please return next time when I haven’t a clue as to what the topic shall be. LOLOL Whatever it is, it’ll be good. 😉🤣

But until then, please be safe and, as always, mentally well! Take care!

DEREK’S DISCLAIMER:  I am not a medical professional, neither am I giving any medical or legal advice. If you are seeking help from a doctor or an attorney, please consult said professionals.  These are my personal thoughts and feelings on the subjects discussed, and my blog is my own personal experiences and journey with mental imbalance.  Thanking you in advance!

I do not own the copyright to any songs or videos listed here. 

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER:  There are products on this page.  By clicking on the links, you will be redirected to that page at no cost to you.  However, I will receive compensation if you purchase something (which I hope you do 😊).