An Upstate Sunset

Earlier this evening I went up to a local field to watch the sunset, which I sometimes do on spring and summer evenings. It’s very relaxing and peaceful to just sit back and watch the world go by sometimes. So often we’re in such a hurry that we never take time to appreciate these things. I sat in my car and watched the sun slowly descending over the horizon, and as I did, something to the right of me caught my eye. About 100 ft away there was a playground, which also sat on the field. I saw two guys who looked slightly younger than me sitting on top of a jungle gym. At first, this didn’t strike me as being anything unusual. I find that I’m typically not the only one who comes up to watch the sunsets at this spot. Other guys and girls my age, especially couples, do the same. Just as I was about to turn away, the two guys turned to each other and kissed passionately. I was stunned, not because I have any problem with public displays of affection (within reason), but because this was a rural area in upstate New York, about a mile from my house. I had never seen a same-sex couple anywhere outside of Albany, let alone one that was open about being who they were. Both were probably aware that I was there, since they weren’t far from where I was parked. Despite the fact that my neighborhood is probably a “suburban” area, it’s right on the edge of an old rural farming district. I grew up attending schools in what were undoubtedly rural areas. A lot of my classmates were from farming families that go back several generations. This field was the last place I would expect to see a same-sex couple, but maybe I haven’t given rural upstate New York enough credit. I have never encountered any homophobia in my home area, except for the occasional name-calling, and certainly never any violence toward minorities of any kind. Maybe I shouldn’t have been that shocked. Our society has come a long way, after all. Even if those two guys didn’t know that I was there, I still feel that what I saw had a deeper significance. How many same-sex couples would’ve dared to do the same, even if they thought they were alone, ten or twenty years ago? How many would be affectionate in a public place where they could easily have been watched (there is a sign saying that the playground is videotaped, and it is a popular area)? But these two didn’t seem to care at all. They were head over heels in love, holding hands as they left the playground, nodding at me as passed within 10 ft of me and walked onto the road, still hand in hand. Times have definitely changed, and for the first time, I saw concrete proof of that in my own backyard.

I think that sunset was probably the best one I’ve seen in a long time.

Copyright © 2009 neverwalkaway.wordpress.com. All Rights Reserved.