Two events are worth noting today: 

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris become POTUS and VP

and DeForest Kelley’s 101st Birthday

 

Both are important to me, but one is absolutely crucial: the safe, successful swearing in of our nation’s new President and Vice President.

 

I’ve been very anxious all week about the safety of this event, but yesterday’s events went off without a hitch, so I feel a little better about today’s events, too.

 

It shouldn’t be this dicey in this country to have a change in administrations, but all bets are off after January 6th showed us what Trump’s people are capable of. It’s very sad…

 

I feel like a mother hen, as if MY PERSONAL ATTENTION will be REQUIRED to keep everyone safe.

 

That’s asinine, I know, but I have a huge stake in the ascension of these folks to the highest offices in the land as a transgender citizen and an ally of black and brown people and as a low income individual, so I’m keenly and passionately watching what goes on today, and will be in all the days to come.

 

For this reason, today’s blog post will be short because events start unfolding in about 30 minutes, and I want to be free then to witness them…

 

De-Day 2021

 

Today is also the 101st anniversary of the birth of my mentor and dear late friend, actor DeForest Kelley. I’m feeling sad that I was unable to spend some of last year flying around the country to conventions, museums and other venues to talk about De’s lasting legacy and about what a true salt of the earth human being he was.

 

I was in the midst of planning numerous such adventures when COVID-19 came calling, putting a halt to everything having to do with large gatherings. Now that will probably never come to pass, so I have to let it go and realize the chance has passed.

 

(A 100 year anniversary was a big deal. In contrast, 101 doesn’t seem that noteworthy and COVID is still here killing people in record numbers every few weeks, so this year is definitely out, too… so I’m pretty sure the whole idea is “dead, Jim.”)

 

It’s sad to realize that, but it also helps me focus on the things that are right in front of me on a day-to-day basis, and that makes life a lot easier. I’m almost 70. I’d better start focusing on my own legacy, if I have one, dont’cha think???

 

I am not an eager traveler in these post-9/11 years. I’m not crazy about talking to large groups of people, either, but I was willing to put my discomfort aside in service to De’s legacy. I’m NOT as willing to doing those things in service of my own. As an introvert, my comfort zone is at home and on the written page.  All else provokes various degrees of anxiety. I’ll do them when required, and I actually enjoy them when I feel I must do them, but the time leading up to them is gut-wrenching.

 

Heck, I approach surgeries with FAR less (almost zero!) trepidation than I do engaging with large crowds of people–or even small groups. So, that’s where I am, just to give you some idea!

 

So, now I’m going to eat breakfast and start the countdown to the Inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman to break the glass ceiling in our nation’s highest office. She’s black, bold, of Asian descent and she will represent us with class, passion and a perspective that no other VP has ever had: that of a previously marginalized female American citizen. This ought to be good!!!