It does get better.

More and more I find myself less and less impressed with what all this technology stuff is doing for the art I love. I think that photos made with a Rollie look better, even if you don’t know what you’re doing, but especially if you do.

But every now and then something comes along that makes me say, “Yes, that’s doing it right. That’s using the tools we have today to do something that wouldn’t have been possible 20, or 10, or even 5 years before.”

Dan and Terry’s “It Gets Better” is one of those moments.

Comparatively speaking, I had it pretty easy in junior high school. I was weird and didn’t really fit into any of the social groups. But I was good student, and a good athlete, and a good musician and I wasn’t afraid to fight if I had to. Sometime I got picked on (at this moment I wonder if what my wife calls my ‘queerness’ was the reason) but I never got picked on more than I was willing to allow. That meant a few trips to the principal’s office, but my parents, most especially my father always backed me up.

By high school I had mostly found my footing, but as easy as I had it, I wouldn’t wish my junior high school or high school experience on anyone. I still remember hearing adults saying “You’re going to look back on this as the best days of your life!” and thinking “I sure as hell hope not.” And when I try to imagine what would have been like to be small, or timid, or not knowing your father had your back, just imagining it makes me feel like crying.

So Kudos to Dan and Terry. I hope a lot of people make It Gets Better videos of their own, because it does get better. It gets a lot better. Just hang in there and it will.