the state of hawaii stands on the brink of history. barring unforeseen disaster, the legislature will pass same-sex marriage by the end of the week. for those loving couples and their families it will mean for the first time, at least in our state, they will be equal in the eyes of the law. it will be a victory that can never fully be quantified. sure, we talk about tax benefits, health benefits, retirement benefits, and so on, but the word “marriage” in our society means so much more than just these tangible benefits. being able to point to the person they love and say, “this is my husband” or “this is my wife,” to be able to say that, without qualifiers or explanations… well, i can’t even imagine the sense of relief and joy that benefit will bring to so many.

and still, in this day and age, they will still be looked upon by some, by too many in our community as evil, or dirty, or an abomination. despite the passage of this landmark legislation, too many couples, too many individuals will still face discrimination and hatred. you need search no farther than the tens of thousands of pieces of testimony given, in writing and in person, over this past week to find unequivocal evidence of that discrimination and hatred. yes folks, i’m sorry to say, bigotry is alive and well in the aloha state.

of course, those fighting for this victory for nearly 20 years, the couples, their families, their friends, their allies in the search for justice know this all too well. we’ve been witness to it every step along the way, every time we pushed for just a little bit more. religious zealots, bigots who claim theirs to be the side of righteousness because their faith claims to be the only one that counts. and if these people don’t think they’re bigots, i’m sorry, but they’re just fooling themselves.

just a few weeks ago certain circumstances of my life caused me to feel defeated. something i was optimistic and hopeful about had turned out to be a facade, or at least that’s how it appeared. i was beat down and lost. i felt worse than i had in a long time. i was having trouble sleeping, focusing, and trouble not cursing at random people i saw on the street. i was ready to dig in and retreat from the world. for about a week, “fuck it” was my theme.

in the old days, this could have gone on for weeks or months. i would have let this feeling fester and infect nearly every aspect of my life. i wouldn’t say wallowing in self-pity is fun, but in some ways, it’s like a drug for me. it’s really easy and serves as an escape from the world that seems to disappoint on a regular basis. i’m a recovering self-pity addict. instead of giving myself up to a higher power, instead of a 12-step program, i decided that i wouldn’t be defeated by disappointment. that feeling wouldn’t consume me and i devised a plan; improve. i’m attempting to refocus.

while i tend not to subscribe to an over-developed sense of a polished outward appearance (you only need glance at my beard to know that), for a long time i haven’t been thrilled about how badly out of shape i am. it does bother me and it does contribute what little bit remains of a deep-seeded self-loathing. so instead of letting myself get washed away in a wave of self-pity, i’ve decided to get in shape. i’m just at the beginning of what will almost certainly prove to be a huge challenge, but so far i’m determined to see it through.

and i’ve set a goal: lose 40-50 (this is, by medical standards, roughly how overweight i am) pounds by the end of the 2014 legislative session.

earlier this week i met with a personal trainer to help me develop a workout routine that would get me in shape; not beefy, but lean and hopefully with just the right amount of tone. however, according to the trainer, exercise will only get me about a third of the way to my goal. so next week i’ll be meeting with a dietician who will, hopefully, help me develop a diet that doesn’t totally suck, that works with in the limits of my crohn’s disease. hopefully it will be something i can stick with. sure, i know its just a matter of will power, but i’ve never particularly like the idea of a diet and i’m not known for having strong will power.

still, if i want to reach this goal, i’ve got to not only give it a try, i’ve got to stick with it. i’ve got to commit to weeks and months of a regular (and difficult) workout routine and i’ll have to commit to whatever diet is created for me. we’ll see how it works out in the long-term.

for now, it’s done the trick. while there’s still a thin current of frustration flowing just under the surface, this plan has lifted me out of the doldrums and given me something to shoot for, something completely up to me and under my control. barring illness, life can’t kick this plan in the balls.

i feel energized, as three blog posts in less than a month can attest. and there’s more to come….