by Mary Carey | Jan 28, 2023 | discrimination, racism
My parents gave me one great gift. They never said a racist word. Not one. I didn’t realize until I was older just how rare this was. The only time there was even a hint of something being said, was after my dad retired. He began listening to Rush Limbaugh. We were...
by Mary Carey | Jan 6, 2023 | death, dysfunctional family, estrangement, mental illness
My brother is at peace. He died, from natural causes, at the age of 58, on this past Christmas Day. He, along with our parents, is finally at peace. I can’t tell you the strange euphoria I feel writing those words. My childhood dream, wish and hope has come true....
by Mary Carey | Dec 21, 2022 | family, intimacy, materialism, quality time
This isn’t my first Christmas of doing the bare minimum. I have been working on this for a few years, and I suppose one of these years it won’t feel so uncomfortable. It’s a little strange to not be all jacked up right now, hurrying here and there, making lists for my...
by Mary Carey | Dec 12, 2022 | disappointment
My title, “I’d rather hate a man than be disappointed in him,” comes from my dear friend, Lenora. Actually, it comes from her daddy. Growing up in the Northeast, my experience was, children called their fathers “daddy” up to a certain age and then transitioned to dad....
by Mary Carey | Dec 4, 2022 | drag queens, hate groups, proud boys
When a friend from high school is a drag queen, the idea of men dressing up as women and performing shows is normalized pretty quickly. I’ll call my friend, aka The Great Fabu, “Joe” to give him his privacy. In sixth grade, Joe wrote me a note asking, “Will you go...