The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/25332
Jim Koury Give back to others To give is to receive. This is one of the basic precepts of life that seems to endure the ages. We all have been the recipient of a kind gesture or word or gift of money or some other item of value. Do you remember how you reacted? Did you say “thank you” and forget about it or was there some return of the gesture, not necessarily to the person who gave it to you, but a response generally to give to others? The tru- est form of gratitude is to give back something to others. When I was in the closet, I remem- ber instances of people reaching out to me to encourage and support me. At the time I wasn’t ready to take that dramatic step forward and come out of the closet. I kindly said “thank you” and proceeded to shuffle their kind words to the back of my head think- ing I could never do what they were encouraging me to do. I have told very few people about my darkest hour of self-doubt when I was in my 20s. I was enmeshed in fear; fear of what lay ahead in my life, but more importantly, the fear of coming to grips with who I truly was. Yes, I toyed with the idea of commit- ting the ultimate deed of self-depreca- tion _ suicide _ and was planning my escape from my closeted torture. Unlike so many other LGBT youths, I did not choose this path. I remem- ber the moment I decided not to kill myself as clearly as if it were an hour ago. I began to think of the many people who loved me and wanted nothing but the best for me, as well as all those who encouraged me to be strong and continue my path forward. I decided I could not let them down. I am so grateful that people reached out to me with so many acts of kindness that I needed to repay them by coming to grips with my reality. Take the time to give of yourself to someone who needs it. Do not defer this obligation to someone else. You do not know whose life you may be saving by just offering a kind word, thought or smile to someone who might really need it. Do not shut your eyes to humanity. Jim Koury was born and raised in Oneonta. He is a gay activist, and the city clerk of Oneonta, a position he has held for 18 years. He can be reached at editor@diversityrules- magazine.com. Trash Thursday with Katrina, 9 p.m., Merlin’s, 201 State St., Binghamton. LGBTQ Events Thurs. 2/17 Dialogue Session on “Everything You Wanted to Know About Lesbian Sex,” 7 to 9 p.m., Gender Sexuality Resource Center, SUNY Oneonta, 219 Hunt Union. College Night at Merlin’s, 8 p.m., 201 State St., Bingham- ton, free before 11 p.m. with college ID. College Night at Twist Ultra Lounge, 252 West Genesee St., Syracuse. Fri. 2/18 Gays of Sullivan County Afternoon Sociatl, 2 to 6 p.m., Dancing Cat Saloon, Bethel. Sat. 2/19 Comedy Night at the Black Box Theater, Little Falls. Re- turning to the Black Box are comedians Brandon Dyer, along with Justin Kelly McClure and A.J. Foster. Tickets are $15 in advance and can be purchased at www. ticketderby.com. Tickets are $20 at the door. Vintage Pride potluck, 1 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 362 State St., Albany. LGBTQ people older than 55 can bring a dish to share. Drinks and dessert will be provided by the Pride Center of the Captial Region. For info: 292- 8140. Sun. 2/20 Miss CoCo Peru, Wise Guy’s Comedy Club, 201 South Salina St., Syracuse. For info, cocoperusyracuse.com. Thurs. 3/3 22 O-Town Scene Feb. 17, 2011 the Diversity Scene Feb. 17-23