I would very much have liked to participate in a Day without Gay, or which manifestation it took in various places. I had even made plans to do so. Then it fell a bit apart: my hours were cut through much of November, Christmas got moved six hours worth of driving further away. Plates and property tax came due…
Well, let’s face it. I am working to diminish my debt. I am not financially successful. I am almost not even financial mentionable.
So, I went to work. This week marked the start of one last stretch of over time before the new year.
My day…? I discovered how fast I move on one particular process. I mean faster than all but one other guy on the job. I mean fast. I also fought every section of my line on a binding job. Tooth and nail kinda fight. The problems moves from one bit to another, out of nowhere. It was that special kind of frustrating. Then, a mis-fold showed up in one page signature, resulting in books that wouldn’t trim properly. After the crew sorted out the bad signatures and we bound what good books we could, we were left short by over a hundred books. Remake.
We don’t like remakes. Any body. Nobody. Wasted ink, wasted paper. Extra plates and labor costs.
Super Design Fag to the rescue. The folding lead said they couldn’t be refolded. Peshaw! I grabbed a burnishing tool, well, really, what passed for a burnishing tool. Nobody there knew what I meant. In. A. Bindery. Nobody knew what a burnisher was…
I squared off the bad pages and re-creased them with the tool. I made count. I avoided the remake.
I told my lead he owed me a cookie. I like cookies.
Shortly afterward, the light bulb triggered.
I’m gay. I mean gay gay gay! Every one at work, except those under the rock, know this to be true. I challenge my crew on their off humor regularly. I break them in to the world of teh gay Gryphon experience. Only they call me Jeff.
And they all know what happens when I am not there. Everyone else wanders aimlessly more often through the day. Questions get more complicated answers. Jokes are a bit more boring. My lead actually has to work! They are less happy when I am gone. They are less gay.
Anyway. I think I did a service on this day of subtle protest. Even as I wished I could afford the symbol of solidarity, but I could not do so. I felt I did my part, even if not the part I had wished originally to do…
To all my brethren that showed to folks that do not understand how much of the world is driven by us queers: I thank you. Every last one. I may even bring cookies.
gryphon's hole 