25, Mr Loverman, THAT shirt!
What's been floating my boat...
The Saturday Compendium is where I round up a few of the things that have interested me in one way or another this week. Some cool, some not so cool, some that have made me think, some that have inspired me to action, some that have shaken me out of a rut. Some old, some new, all borrowed, some possibly blue. But whatever else, they’re all things I think you might find interesting too.
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Take note of what causes a reaction
On holiday this year, I wore the shirt in the photo below. I love that shirt, though I don’t wear it often, and I feel OK in it. The people I was with — good friends, and this is no reflection on them, this is about me — are used to seeing me in plain T-shirts, or band T-shirts, or maybe a check pattern. They teased me, gently and with good humour, about this shirt.
It bothered me. But I knew it bothered me because at school I was bullied — not gently, and not with good humour — about what I wore and how I looked. My biological father did not enjoy spending money, so the clothes I had were not usually of the latest style, I had buck teeth until I was given braces and I was embarrassed by my ears so grew my hair to cover them, 70’s style, but way into the eighties.
So that’s why the gentle, good-natured ribbing I got from my friends hit. Nothing to do with them, everything to do with me. And it perhaps indicates work I need to do, to remind myself I can wear what I want, and other people’s opinions don’t matter, and more importantly, that whatever I wear, I’m okay .
The shirt…
What I’m reading: 25 - the anthology
“To celebrate Goldsboro Books' 25th birthday comes a brand new collection of short stories, carefully curated to showcase a range of storytelling from some of our favourite authors.
Since 1999, Goldsboro Books has been a haven for writers and readers alike; supporting a wide range of stories and championing authors, curating a vast collection and creating an inclusive book collecting experience for readers.
Full list of contributing authors below:
Abir Mukherjee, AJ West, Araminta Hall, Beth Lewis, Brian McGilloway, Chris McDonald, David Fennell, David Headley, Elodie Harper, Erin Young, Essie Fox, Hattie Williams, Imogen Robertson, Imran Mahmood, Jennie Godfrey, John Connolly, MW Craven, Nikki May,
Olivie Blake, Paterson Joseph, Ragnar Jónasson, SA Cosby, Sean Lusk, SJ Watson, Tendai Huchu, Vaseem Khan and Will Carver.”
Yes, I have a story in this collection and I’m very proud of it. Apart from one, the stories I’ve read so far have all been great. Here’s a link if you want to get a copy.
What I’ve been musing on
This week I was told that ‘everyone loved working with me’. And looking back, I think that might be a problem. I value being ‘easy’ and ‘nice’ above getting what I need, want or deserve, especially professionally.
But should I change that? If so, how?
What I’ve been watching: Mr Loverman
“A moving and funny drama about an exuberant, closeted family man who wants to end his marriage and live with his best friend, with whom he has been having an affair for almost 60 years.”
Based on the book by Bernadine Evaristo. Brilliant and touching, and particularly interesting because it features older gay men, and black gay men, both of which are groups we rarely see in popular culture. Watch it.
What I’ve been listening to: Perfume Genius
How about you? What are you enjoying at the moment?
I like your shirt. It says I’m on holiday. You look good in it.
Yeah, I went through the same bullying, and have the same reaction to this day.