Jimbo.Info

I first remember a brief message from the Onion Personals from him with a teensy postage-stamp sized picture of him taken from 400 yards away. Y'all know how I feel about image resolution and fuzzy pictures, so I ignored the message. Too risky to eventually find the guy would not quite look like the picture.

Then many months later he mesaged me again to say hi on Friendster. This time he had more pictures, many of them quite handsome, like this one:

I also learned a little more from his profile in this format. He liked stuff like Buffy, Gremlins and The Dark Crystal, all of which I like as well. And he had pictures of himself at work, working with critters and stuff. At first we corresponded via Friendster while he was doing field research in Panama, and eventually met at Mr. Henry's on Capitol Hill in mid-February. Conversation was easy and he seemed first like a normal, adjusted person to me. And he still remains a normal and well-adjusted guy. I coerced him to walk to the L'Enfant Plaza Metrorail station that night, one which I knew was seldom used that late at night, so I could sneak a kiss as we went down the escalator. I could tell he was a good kisser from just that small sample. A good sign. I've since found he's even better in other departments.

The next time we met out at the New Carollton Metrorail station so I could see his workplace which is an outdoor research station. He was so excited about us meeting again he locked his keys in his car in the parking lot. It was cold out and a long time before the locksmith came, but cute because he was so flustered about seeing me again and so concerned about screwing up. I was a little nervous too.

Now I have rarely met many gay men in DC, or even elsewhere, to have done the field work that I have in the natural resources area. Needless to say I get excited to meet anyone who has had similar experiences, because they get that part of me. Sometimes I feel very misunderstood here when I talk about such things, as I often feel like I am the only person I know with a mote of knowledge about wildlife or biology. When I talk about such things people here will glaze over and quickly switch topics of politics or urban issues, or just stare at me with a blank look of incomprehension in their faces. Sometimes I don't even think they believe what I am saying. People even try to argue with me about some very basic ecological or biological concepts. I try to be patient when that happens. When I marvel at the stars, thunderstorms, cicadas, wood ducks or spotting a Peregrine falcon on the National Mall I've often had people say to me things like, "What's the big deal, it's only a thunderstorm!" So I shut up and switch to my urban persona, and pretend not to care like they do.

But when someone is impressed that I can tell the difference between a male or female red-tailed hawk, or that I know the twittering flying grey things in the city are not in fact bats, but chimney swifts, or that I can tell a peregrine falcon is overhead just by noticing how the pigeons are freaking out, I nearly get a hard-on.

Sea is one such special person. "Sea", a nickname for an even cooler name which I will not reveal. Sea is short for seabird, the reason for such name I will also not share. We see each other with as much frequency as we can, for he lives out in Southern Maryland, working at a biolological research station. He is a biologist, and a damn good one too. If you dare question me on my bird identification skills, Sea's I.D. skills are godlike and even more impressive than mine and will destroy you with their depth and breadth of detailed knowledge. Any snarky overeducated Ivy League contrarian will be crushed in the biological field of knowledge by such a person. Be warned, contrarian Smarty Pants folk of The District - Sea is in town with his deputy ranger Jimbo, so you better lay low and keep yer mouth shut.

I really really like him a lot, and wish I could see him more often. We are two peas in a pod and I have not been this excited to know someone like this in a long time. He is not someone you would normally meet in the DC crowd. I am the city mouse and he is the country mouse and we meet somewhere in the middle. He is crunchy, spiritual, unconcerned with material things, unapologetic, and strong of heart. And he is cute and red-haired all over, and is ticklish in an endearing way. I like to give him 'zurburts' and watch him giggle and quiver. And most importantly, we get along and I enjoy my time with him.

But I am his first relationship, and there are challenges and anxieties on both our parts to that. But I also believe each relationship is always different, and require different challenging approaches. And he is moving away to Florida in the fall to go for his Ph.D. in biology. The romantic side of be thinks that perhaps things can work out, while the rational side of me knows that in most cases it doesn't. But I remain optimistic, and at the very least we will remain friends and that he will always have a very cherished place in my heart. He has a good head on his shoulders, and has a very mature outlook of how to try and conduct a relationship. We are both learning, and he's already got a pretty darn grip on the how-to manual of relationships.

So here's to enjoying what time we can have until August. There are plenty of opportunities to be had, and I'm looking forward to them, and I hope the summer slows down a bit just for me and Sea. For now, I'm approaching it like how Sandra Dee and Danny Zuko did in Grease before their main storyline in the movie Grease developed:

Summer lovin' had me a blast - summer lovin', happened so fast
I met a girl crazy for me - I met a boy, cute as can be
Summer days driftin' away, to uh-oh those summer nights

Or perhaps what Gwen Stefani sings:

You're a salty water ocean wave
You knock me down, you kiss my face
I know the storm will likely come
But I'd still love to have you around.
A rollercoaster built to crash
But I'd still love to have you around.

Don't go away my love
I want you to stay in my life
Don't go away from my life
I'm happier when we spend time.

Or like Garth said:

And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end
the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance

Or maybe some Edward Lear:

And hand in hand on the edge of the sand
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.