Lair Davis (Our Man in Costa Rica)

Remember Lair Davis? He was the founding editor of several queer newspapers including the San Diego Gayzette (1982), Gay Times (1988) and Gay/Lesbian Nation (1990). Lair moved on to other community challenges in San Diego before moving to Santa Cruz. In June 2004, the award-winning “Lair About Town” columnist retired to the tropics of Costa Rica. HillQuest is tickled and proud to return Lair to San Diego every week to share his views and ideas. Feel free to email him.

April 8, 2005

While the Muse is Away

You do collect quotes, don’t you? Doesn’t everyone? Do you throw them into a Word document?

There they sit, just waiting for you to open the file and throw in another one.

I, of course, have an excuse for this behavior. Or rather, an explanation:

Sometime the muse takes a holiday. Muses need vacations, too, I suppose, but what’s a writer to do when he must crank out another column within the next few hours and the well of brilliant ideas has gone dry?

Go to the Quote File, open it up, read a few and surely one or two of them will provide the inspiration needed to “help me make it through the night.”

That’s the theory anyway. Let’s see if it really works.

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“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.”
— William Pitt, November 18, 1783

Why does this quote make me think of Donald Rumsfeld and the Patriot Act?

“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”
— H.L. Mencken, July 26, 1920

I hope those “plain folks of the land” are happy. They’ve gotten exactly what they deserve.

“Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me,
I want people to know why I look this way. I’ve traveled
a long way and some of the roads weren’t paved.”
— unknown

When I was young, I wished I looked like Paul Newman. He was so handsome! Now that I have grown old — and Paul has grown old — I have finally gotten my wish!

“The love of one’s country is a splendid thing.
But why should love stop at the border?”
— Pablo Casals

I’ve never understood it when someone says, “I’m proud to be an American.” What does that mean? Lucky, certainly. Grateful, most definitely. Humbled even — but proud?

“Never give a party if you will be the most interesting person there.”
— Mickey Friedman

I’ve been thinking about having a party. I have not yet met an expat living in Costa Rica who is not interesting. The fact that we are all so very interesting may be the only thing we have in common.

“No matter how rich you become, how famous or powerful, when you die the size of your funeral will still pretty much depend on the weather.” — Michael Pritchard

Unless you are the pope, of course. Then, it depends on, on — what? Obligation?

“It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English — up to fifty words used in correct context — no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese.”
— Carl Sagan

Those dolphins might have learned even more English had they not found humans to be so terribly dull that it hardly seemed worth the effort.

“I’ve been a straight man for so many years that from force of habit I repeat everything. I went out fishing with a fellow the other day and he fell overboard. He yelled, ‘Help! Help! Help!’ so I said, ‘Help? Help? Help?’ And while I was waiting for him to get his laugh, he drowned.”
— George Burns

Too bad the guy couldn’t yell “Help!” in dolphinese.

“It always seemed to me a bit pointless to disapprove of homosexuality.
It’s like disapproving of rain.”
— Francis Maude

After living many years in San Diego, where it rains not a lot (recent months excluded), and since living in Costa Rica for the past year, I have come to really approve of rain. I love walking in it. I love the smell. I love to hear it crashing on the roofs and see it making the leaves glisten. I approve of homosexuality even more.

“A young mind in a healthy body is a wonderful thing.
Especially for an old man with an open night.”
— George Burns

Hmmm, I think it must be near time for me to make an overnight journey into the big city.

“Oh, would that I could live up to my blue china!”

— Oscar Wilde

Ah, Oscar, no regrets, y’hear? Regrets and 50¢ will get you a cup of coffee is a dive — maybe! Give the blue china away and buy some blue plastic stuff made in Taiwan. What does it matter on what you eat?

# 1

(6.25)

# 2
(7.02)

# 3
(7.09)

# 4
(7.16)

# 5
(7.23)

# 6
(7.30)

# 7
(8.06)

(8.13)

(8.20)

(8.27)

(9.03)

(9.10)

(9.17)

(9.24)

(10.01)

(10.08)

(10.15)

(10.22)

(10.29)

(11.05)

(11.12)

# 22
(11.19)

# 23

(11.26)

# 24

(12.3)

# 25

(12.10)

# 26

(12.17)

# 27

(12.24)

# 28

(12.31)

# 29

(1.7)

# 30

(1.14)

# 31

(1.21)

#32

(1.28)

# 33

(2.4)

# 34

(2.11)

# 35

(2.18)

# 36

(2.25)

# 37

(3.4)

# 38

(3.11)

# 39

(3.18)

# 40

(3.25)

# 41

(4/1)

Interested in your own trip to Costa Rica? Get off the “tourist trail” while $aving time/money with your own travel consultant. Lair would love to help you plan your holiday of a lifetime. He’ll even be your guide in his tropical paradise! Email him to discuss your trip.