2002 Soapbox Archives

(April 2002) ON MY SOAPBOX:  About... FUN!

I think we can all agree, that a social group like the Prime Timers is meant to be FUN! In order to meet this goal, we need to have FUN events that we can all enjoy. In the past, we used to look to our activities coordinator to take care of this for us. It was far too easy for us all to sit back and leave the work to John. Well, we can't do this anymore because no human being could possibly be able to expend that much effort forever. PTP now has some new faces in the executive committee. If things don't change though, we could be right back were we started.

To avoid this problem, and above all have FUN, we need everyone to think of themselves as an activities person. If each member were to sponsor / promote / assist in just one event every other year, our calendar would be packed with a wide variety on FUN events. And of course, don't forget that it is just as important to participate in events organized by others!

So I ask, please, just think about it! It's time to have some FUN (off soapbox.... for now)

(May 2002) Summer is for Parties

Well, it's beginning to look as though the long dreary winter is finally going to end. Now, to anyone who's gay, or at least reasonably happy, this can mean only one thing... it's party time! At the Prime Timers of Philadelphia we strongly support this fine tradition. In April, we kicked things off with a fabulous Queer as Folk party and we'll follow through with more in May and June! So if you're sitting on the fence (does'nt that hurt?), it's time to get off and have some fun! Pick up the phone and get yourself out to have some fun!

Planning a party of your own? Tell us about it and we'll help get the word out to our membership of mature gay men. We'd love to hear from you!

And speaking of hearing from you, take a look at the club survey form. We're always looking for ways to make the club better for everyone. To do this we need as much feedback as possible, so send one in, even if you're not a member of the club!

(June 2002)  Enjoying the Summer!

Summer is finally here and so is the fun. What fun you ask? The fun we allow ourselves to have in our daily lives. The fun that comes from the enthusiasm we take with us when we go to the beach or a house party. And in my case, the fun I have speaking with all the people who have expressed an interest in the Prime Timers of Philadelphia or who taken the time to mail in a response to our survey (the survey form can still be found on the Newsletters page (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)).

So take a look at our events page. If you know of something that others might be interested in, drop us a line by e-mail, phone or snail mail.

Ps: If this message seems a bit on the short side, sorry, I'm too busy having fun!

(July 2002) A Sinister Idea or Maybe It's Time to Ditch 10%

My brother recently sent me a most fascinating book titled "Lefties: The origins and consequences of being left handed." As a south paw myself I am only too aware of the oppression that persons who are left handed face. I can still remember a teacher chiding me that "the left hand is the hand of the devil" and being forced to hobble along with my right hand, until my parents put a stop to this abuse by having a "chat" with the school administration. Even in language, the latin word for being left handed is "sinister" while the righties are "dexterous". (Kind of like "queer" versus "straight")

The thing is, it got me thinking. Being left handed is really much more radical than most people think. It means your brain is wired up opposite to the right handed people (notice I DON'T say backwards). Lefties are often born to right handed parents (both of mine are right handed) People don't chose to be left handed, oh and lefties don't recruit :-) And, just like many repressed gay people, many left handed people are forced to struggle through life as clumsy right handers.

To me, the similarities between left handedness and being gay were astonishing. So much so, that I vote that the time has come to ditch the traditional 10% figure usually ascribed to gays and instead the more sensible 1 in 9 that describes how many people are left handed.

(August 2002)  Back from Vacation!

Well you may have notinced the web site getting a little behind the times the last while. Well I was on vacation! Now I'm back and regular service is resumed! I admit my August update is over a week late, but I should be able to devote more time to keeping you informed.

There are several small fixes. The new newsletter, events, and the link to the Prime Timers Worldwide chapter is now fixed. Take a look around and maybe drop me a line (see the contacts page for info).

Well, no soap box this month. I'm giving everyone a break!

(September 2002) Taking care of Yourself.

Last Friday, my partner and I finally did something that we had been talking about for a long time. We went to a clinic and got started on protecting ourselves from Hepatitis. We got vacinated!

Do you enjoy travel? Do you want to visit "rustic" or less developed regions? Do you enjoy sex? Are YOU vacinated?

The big nasty for the last 25 years has always been HIV, and I'm not taking away anything from what has already been said about that. The issue here is that Hepatitis is 100 times more contagious than HIV. You can get Hep. "A" from a salad! You owe it to yourself and those who love you, to take care of your health!

How much does this cost and where and when can I get it? Cost... that's easy! FREE! (They do ask for a donation, but that's optional) Where and when? also easy! "The Washington West Project" 1201 Locust St (the corner of 12^th and Locust), the last Friday of EVERY month from 9PM till Midnight!

Like they say in their flyer... "Get the shot!! ... and get it over with."

(October 2002) Fun in the Fall!

There are times when the event page seems so very empty and there are times when it just bursts with fun things to do. Right now we are bursting at the seams with fun events. Down the road, things look a lot leaner though! That's why I want to ask you to tell us of any fun events you know of, or better yet would like to host for November, December or even into the New Year! Give thought to the sorts of things YOU would like to do.

In the mean time, take a look at our events page (by clicking on the word Events in the purple box above) and see what kind of fun you can have in October!

Ps: My partner and I have gone and received the second of a series of three shots for Hepatitis. We made a night out on the town out of it and had a fabulous time! For more on this story see my September 2002 article by clicking here (See above actually).

(November 2002) It's not a numbers game!

When running an orgainization such as the Prime Timers of Philadelphia, it can be very easy to get caught up in a numbers game. How many members are there? How many turned up at such and such event? How many for brunch? Etc. And if the numbers are small, it is easy to feel that the event was not a success.

Well nothing could be further from the truth! The purpose of a club is to provide enjoyment to its members. If four members get out to an event and have fun, then that's four guys who got out and had fun instead of staying home and feeling miserable. If other's prefer to stay home and be miserable, that's their choice, and not our problem!

A good event is all about having fun. So throw away the ledger books and calculators and focus on the wonderful people that DO come out and have some FUN!

(December 2002) Enjoying the holidays and planning for the New Year.

Well I can honestly say that I very much enjoyed the Thanksgiving break. I am looking forward to the Christmas holidays and visiting family. I am also looking forward to a holiday party for my fellow club members and other friendly gentlemen! All in all, this time of year is a time to relax and reflect. In the past year, a lot of progress has been made. Our membership list is now up to date, we have more events and attendance is good (if not stellar) and new members are again being added to the roles.

Still this is no time to slacken our efforts. In the New Year, I'm planning more house parties, a trip to Ocean House in NJ, variety by changing the location of the brunch, and improved advertising to reach out to more of those sexy mature gay and bi men. In addition, I plan to increase the degree of cooperation between our Prime Timers chapter and other chapters in our area, as well as similar organizations like PANG (see the links page for a link to them).

As always, if there is anything we need to be doing to serve you better, please do not hesitate to contact us.

And finally, to all: Have a Safe and Happy Holiday and a Prosperous New Year!