Diary #298

The week after a big event like SASS is always hectic, mostly due to playing catch-up and taking care of business resulting from the big event.  On the day the last diary posted, for example, I drove Savannah Sly to the airport and enjoyed a lovely dinner with the gentleman who won the fundraising auction for a date with me.  Those were the pleasant things; I also had a number of less-pleasant (catching up on writing with deadlines looming mere hours in the future) and unpleasant (about which the less said, the better) obligations which would’ve made the week a wash if not for the arrival of several subscriptions, a CD I’ve wanted for 35 years (from Daz) and a very large donation.  And let me tell you, there’s nothing that brightens my week more than tangible signs of appreciation!  Whenever I appear at some public event, people tell me how much they appreciate all I do for the movement, and that validation and praise is extremely important to me; it’s what keeps me going under conditions that are often grueling and extremely disheartening.  But I’m a pragmatic person, and only human; the validation is even more rewarding, and the praise more uplifting, when it’s accompanied by some concrete contribution.  What I’m trying to say is, your gifts, subscriptions and donations are not only important from a practical point of view, in that they help me to pay my bills; they’re also important to me emotionally.  I smile when I see the subscription notifications in my morning email, and getting a check, gift or PayPal donation can lift my spirits when I’m feeling blue or having a hard day (which, as regular readers know, is the majority of them).  I’m about to start working on a special gift for my patrons; I’m hoping to have it ready sometime this summer.  I know y’all don’t support me to get something specific back (those who want that can simply book a session!), but I think tangible support deserves a tangible thank-you.