Why I like older gay men

[Virge]

okay, first get your mind out of the porny mode.

I like older gay men because they are the living history of 'gay.'
They can tell things about what it was like in times before lots of us were born and listening to them is always interesting and educational.

I envy them at times because in 'the good old days' when gays had to rely on each other so much they were really more close knit and worked in networks that went below the radar of straight people. I love stories about how they relied on their address books full of names and phone numbers of everyone they'd met to get gay news from one corner if the US to the other almost overnight and how they could go traveling from city to city relying of "friends of friends of friends" all through the connections they kept up. It was a lot friendlier and more personal that the internet today.

And going through their old home videos and photo albums is amazing. I have one friend here who's almost 70 and has collections of gay novels from the 1960s and 70s that he's loaning us one at a time. Talk about some great stories! Jay likes to read and having access to the books is becoming a big thing. This morning he read aloud for over an hour from Gordon Merrick's The Lord Won't Mind. and I'm anxious for him to read more tonight.

And ....... anytime I need advice on things concerning gay issues it's always the older guys who have the best advice. Let's face it. They've already done and seen everything us younger guys are doing and seeing.

Thoughts?

[Rareboy]

Yes...as we sit on the edge of our open grave....I hope we have a few wicked/sad/joyous tales to still tell.

Did you all know that old homos love the youngsters (<30) too? And not in the creepy porno way. Or at least most of the time.

BTW. I also still have all my Merrick's and Nell Warren's.

[lonley]

It is so cool to sit and listen to the older guys talking about the "good" old days I only wish I had some one around me to tell those stories . You are making wish I had somebody older right now lol

[East]

When I was 21...I felt like I had struck gold when I started working and meeting alot of the older gay men. I LOVED their stories and their wisdom...and I paid attention...I never took it or them for granted. My cocktail hour shifts were my favorite because I got to see most of them during that time...

I remembered one thing yesterday actually when I was talking to PA...

This one guy told me that when I was 21...to BE 21...and to remember that today is all you have so make the most of it....and if he could have done one thing different it would have been to be present in his own life....

Those words are STILL etched into my brain....and I took his advice. I knew he was right because he not only knew what he was talking about...he lived it and knew the consequences of not taking that advice.

[Virge]

Yes...as we sit on the edge of our open grave....I hope we have a few wicked/sad/joyous tales to still tell.

Did you all know that old homos love the youngsters (<30) too? And not in the creepy porno way. Or at least most of the time.

BTW. I also still have all my Merrick's and Nell Warren's.

I'm real glad you brought up Patricia Nell Warren!
I don't read much fiction but I HAD to read Front Runner 2 years ago so I'd know a little about her before she came to visit here. She's originally from Montana... She loved talking to all of us younger people and telling stories about life when she was our age -- and I wish she'd write down all the things she told.

She autographed my copies of Front Runner and Fancy Dancer. They to be made into movies!

[Virge]

[MENTION=18508]East[/MENTION] ............. that's exactly what I'm talking about. Most of the things I say in here that make me seem smart are just me passing on advice from older guys. Most of the things I've learned from them have been so huge they're going to stick with me forever.

I forgot to mention that I love the old lingo and code words they used back then. Last week we got a long talk on the gay art of "dropping hairpins" --- being able to talk about a subject without mentioning it which comes from the days when it was dangerous to come right out and tell a guy you were attracted to that you were attracted to him.

[Rareboy]

Did I ever tell you about the time that........

[Virge]

Did I ever tell you about the time that........

I'm listening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MikeW]

...This one guy told me that when I was 21...to BE 21...and to remember that today is all you have so make the most of it....and if he could have done one thing different it would have been to be present in his own life....

Best advice anyone can ever give. Another way to put it is, "Cover the ground you stand on."

[East]

I used to love listening to some of the bizarre guys too...I didn't really learn anything directly...but indirectly it was a fountain of information to sift through...

This one guy who was very severe...serious...dramatic...proper...he used to like to tell me about the movie stars...he dressed them. His favorite was Loretta Young because she knew how to "act like a lady". I didn't tell him I was a feminist LOL...but I listened and learned "stuff" anyway even though we felt very differently about things,

He bought me a "gift" one day...a book of Old Hollywood. I still have it...I think I read thought it once...not really interested...but I am glad that I knew him because he was quite a character.