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Getting/Falling off the Fence

(Fade in Christopher Cross “Sailing” [1980])

It's not far down to paradise
At least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away
And find tranquility
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me

fade out.)

I wasn't moving to St. Louis as much as I was moving away from the East Side. So many lesbians and gays think that being in an urban environment, where there are many support systems and opportunities, will make their life better. I was no exception. In fact, I had had one foot in the St. Louis gay community for years. It was time to get off the fence.

(Fade in Christopher Cross “Sailing,”

Just you wait and see
Believe me

Sailing
Takes me away
To where I've always heard it could be

fade to background.)

My new life in St. Louis for the first ten months was virtually identical to
the one I had been living for the past five years, except now I was commuting to work instead of commuting to play. And I might have continued searching for Mr. Right, had not something happened to change my path.

(Fade “Sailing” out.)

On April 19, 1981 I had left The Bowery and was riding my bicycle to the downtown library when I nearly collapsed. I knew something was wrong. By noon the next day, I had a fever of 104 degrees. It was Hepatitis B, which at that time was one of the most dreaded widely known sexually transmitted diseases a gay man could contract.

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