Affogato and Affiliations

Happy Pride Month! I haven't said it yet and I'm shocked. My mind is so one track that it didn't occur to me I hadn't wished any readers a happy, affirming, and welcoming pride! Something I've been waiting with baited breath to watch was “Stop! That! Train!” Produced by RuPaul Charles and like four other people.

I was unable to go to pride this year due to scheduling conflicts, but I really wanted to make sure I saw this in theaters to add my two-pence to the box office numbers.

As I was killing time before the movie, my mind was milling through how people choose who to affliate themselves with. Ru can be a divisive person for my queer friends because of his past with trans individuals. It feels like almost yesterday when more trans representation and inclusion was added to the main series of drag race. Greats like Sasha Colby graced the main stage and we weren't worried anymore that our support as fans was hurting anyone.

My thoughts turnt more inward as I stared at legos.

I asked myself some questions about who I choose to support and how I do it. Most confounding of all, what do we do when whatever we attached ourselves to isn't what it seemed to be?

After staring at some beautiful figurines, I found my mind heavy with some evolving personal relationships. But it was time for the movie, so that was put on the back burner.

If you like camp style drag or just eat up the style of humor you find on drag race, you'd have a fun time with Stop! That! Train!. There weren't a lot of people in the theater. The five of us had a fun time sharing laughter, gasps, more laughter, and fan-fave call outs for Ru’s iconic staples from Drag Race. I would highly recommend watching this movie with someone as I find the humor is more enjoyable with company. Maybe not your parents though. It's rated R.

I went to Kakaow to process my unexpectedly deep thoughts over dessert after the arguably campiest movie I’ve ever seen.

Unpopular opinion: Sometimes it can feel like a burden to be affiliated with something or someone. Other times it can feel like a blessing. I'm a firm believer that if something’s wrong you shouldn't keep doing it. When you find that someone you stood with or for wasn't what they seemed to be, it can cut deep. As infuriating as it is to not see a wolf in sheep's clothing, a reveal like that makes you look inward. What do you stand for? What are you looking for in a work-in-progress? Even harder is drawing the line you refuse to cross.

Before you know it you're reevaluating everything you've come to stand for because of that affiliation. .

There's comfort in not boxing yourself away when your world view is rocked. Instead, do something small and interact with other communities you're apart of

I take great pride in my work and whom I associate with. My relationships tend to form around people I admire, feel comfortable around, or have a quality I aspire to gain. When something happens that shakes how you interact with a person, organization, or whatever it can turn you topsy-turvy. There's comfort in not boxing yourself away when your world view is rocked. Instead, do something small and interact with other communities you're apart of that reaffirm who you know you are.

I could say something witty like, wake up and smell the coffee! That's less tasty than drinking coffee, so we're gonna eat affogato instead.

Let's get up in there. I don't know about you, but I love the creamy look of coffee. It's the same dish, but here’s a close up into the cup a tad more.

Warm cookie, cold vanilla ice cream, and a fresh pull of fruity and aromatic espresso. I'm not a coffee fan, but it's moments like this where I can better understand how my coffee friends can love the bean so much.

The chocolate chips were firm enough not to drip out, but we're melty. The caramel drizzle was so light I forgot it was there and I'm grateful for that. One of the best parts of a coffee dessert is when you can actually taste the coffee. Less caramel helped the espresso stand out. The ratio between the shot and the scoop was wonderful.

I have no restaurants or shops near me that can prepare an affogato. Since I don't drink coffee much, I can't really make them at home either. It was a refreshing and revitalizing treat to have one today. In more ways than one, this trip has been a good morale boost. Contributing in a small way to the LGBTQIA+ community was the highlight of my day. I got to speak with people, explored a new area, and of course had some tasty bites. It wouldn't be a very me trip without some food after all.

The treat really did help me navigate my thoughts. When what's hidden came to light, and I reevaluated myself, this frame helped me. How did I react? How will I forward? Is this affliation salvageable, or is it time to part ways?

And most important of all a wise woman told me to consider.

Are they trying to do better?

Turning to communities I continue to trust reinstated trust in myself. Goodness it takes strength to turn away from something/someone you thought was good for so long. I think it takes even more to trust yourself again. Let alone accepting whatever is being done by what shook you to improve itself. To forgive takes a lot of strength. (Cue the Steven Universe Track)

Regaining trust is bittersweet, like affogato. Sometimes it's hard to find, and it’s best enjoyed one small sip at a time.