[Smithsonian Heritage] Pride Month Guest: Elisabeth Staab

Hi friends! We’ve got our first Pride Month Guest! This month is going to be jam-packed and super crazy and hopefully all sorts of fun! Elisabeth is a first time ALBTALBS guest as well, so welcome!

Honey, You Can’t Run in High Heels

Elisabeth Staab

So. Pride month used to make me think of oiled up beefcake dancing in combat boots and underwear. Now that I’ve had kids… Okay, I’m not dead. There’s no forgetting the beefcake. But more than that, Pride makes me think of my sons. My middle child most of all.

Suddenly, overnight, he had opinions. Strong ones. He wanted sunglasses only with Tinkerbell. Shoes only with pink soles and glitter (we’re on our third pair of those). LulLaRoe Leggings instead of jeans because they’re more comfortable. He took dance lessons and collected stuffed unicorns alongside his Pokémon cards and Hot Wheels. Sadly, ADHD and ballet don’t mix, but we tried.

I grew up worried about what others would think of me and it took well into adulthood before I let those worries go. My kids, from the oldest who wears a trench coat and cravat to class to the youngest who keeps asking people how they’re feeling (he wants to be a doctor), are unapologetically themselves. Of that I am so proud.

To me, most of all, that is what Pride is about. Being yourself, respecting yourself, and treating others the way you wish to be treated. Walking tall, no matter what anybody thinks of your sparkly pink backpack with its fluffy unicorn accoutrement.

Thinking of all the confused feelings I had growing up, I kind of feel like supporting our kids is one of the most important things we can all do. This month and every month. I do draw the line though, when my fabulous kiddo asks to play while wearing my favorite high-heeled boots.

Honey, you can’t run in high heels. Maybe when you’re older.

He thinks I want him because of the rumors around town. Because I think he’s easy. I want AJ, because he’s AJ.

No liars. No suits. 

AJ Fabin’s list of rules keeps him safe. Since getting kicked out of his parents’ home and attacked by a former escorting client, his rules and his life in the tiny town of Evergreen Grove provide a quiet haven. He may be lonely, and he may stick out like a sore thumb, but the folks like him well enough. When he’s not dodging his old pimp, things are peaceful.

Hayden Price is having a quarter-life crisis. Engaged to a woman he can’t connect to and working a job he secretly hates, he comes to Evergreen Grove to help his mother through a health scare. Returning to his childhood home makes Hayden reevaluate a lot of things, including himself. When he meets AJ and finds he can’t stand the mouthy jerk—almost as much as he can’t stop thinking about him—he has a lot more to change than his career.

To be together, they’ll both have to break all of their rules.

Bio: Elisabeth Staab secretly loved being sent to her room as a child. With a flashlight, a stash of Nancy Drew mysteries, and hours to kill, life was high on life and The Secret of the Old Clock. She’s been chasing the dragon ever since. Find out more at her site or by joining her newsletter.

Do you remember any fabulous things you did as a kid? Or are there any fabulous things your kids did? Ever wish you could go back or have the confidence to do what you did?

Thanks for visiting with us, Elisabeth!

One thought on “[Smithsonian Heritage] Pride Month Guest: Elisabeth Staab

  1. dholcomb1

    In college, I rappelled off the side of a building for a class, then we had to do a military course at a base where I faced rappelling the 65ft tower.

    denise

    Reply

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