Getting SOAKed in Tidewater 2011

Deep within a tree canopy in sleepy Tidewater Oregon, flowers bloom and birds cheep, water trickles down the steep retain into a pond.

No Wait! This is not a novel – this is, or was SOAK!

The single most awesome few days that you can imagine, a time when the confines and constraints of society are put on hold and are replaced by a much nicer set of rules based on openness, sharing, tolerance and inclusion.

An event where people can be who, or what, they want to be, without being judged. I am not naive enough to believe that society could be run like this long term, but for four days we most certainly can, and it brings about a peace in the heart more than any other kind of vacation ever could.

I met new friends, rejoined with those I had not seen in a long time, and enjoyed the company of some of my closest friends. We laughed, hugged and at times did wild and crazy things together.

It was a double treat for me, because this was the first event that some people only meet the real me, without first knowing the person who I pretend to be most days of my life. Those who really know me will fully understand that remark and the significance of it. Over time, I hope more people will understand.

Brought to you by Brian Bailey

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