San Diego Pride 2016

A couple of weeks ago, Mr. Beers and I traveled to San Diego to visit dear friends and to be a part of San Diego Pride 2016. Our friends, Mr. Davis and Mr. Campbell, have always been gracious hosts and have invited us to come for this event numerous times, and this trip was perhaps the best yet. There are many reasons that this was a great trip. The weather was perfect. The pride events were wonderful. But the best reason that it was a great trip was the amazing group of people. We got to visit with old friends and we got to make new friends. From Mo's to The Hole and everything in between, we had such a good time.

Watching the Pride Parade Saturday morning, we were very emotional. It had been just over a month since the tragedy at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and one of the first things we saw at the parade was a group of 49 people, each carrying a placard with the name and a picture of one of the Pulse victims. It was breathtaking to see those names and faces represented on University Avenue in the Hillcrest area of San Diego. Another emotional moment was when the San Diego police force marched in the parade. The crowd cheered and applauded them without ceasing, showing their appreciation for the work they do, as well as for the willingness of these members of the SDPD to participate in the Pride Parade. We felt at once vulnerable and protected. We teared up more than once.

Another moment was when we looked up and behind us at the parade and realized that we were all being watched over by camouflaged and armed military personnel ready to respond to whatever unexpected incident might occur. Again we felt at once vulnerable and protected. This is the state of things. Friends who knew we were in San Diego for Pride sent text messages and Facebook messages asking us to "Please be careful," adding, "I hate that even have to say that."

Thankfully, there were no "incidents." The entire weekend was full of love and fun and good times. We were all there to celebrate life and love. We were there with thousands of people who refuse to live in fear. We were cautious and we were aware of our surroundings at all times. We greeted each other with smiles and "Happy Pride." We celebrated life and we celebrated love.