payment page
The nice thing about the Big Boy was the fact that Patrick and Sam didn’t just throw around inside jokes and make me struggle to keep up. Not at all. They asked me questions.
Charlie enjoys spending time with Patrick and Sam because they purposefully include him in their conversations. Other groups of friends who are introducing an outsider into their ranks may simply act as they always do by reminiscing on the past and making inside jokes, leaving the newbie feeling lost and left out. Thankfully, Patrick and Sam have a talent for building friendships, and they genuinely want to get to know Charlie. The simple act of asking Charlie questions makes Charlie feel comfortable enough to open up, and the night at Big Boy is the beginning of a fulfilling friendship. Had Patrick and Sam not made a point of being inclusive, they may not have gained Charlie’s loyal and thoughtful companionship, and vice versa.
My last gift before the party is a book called The Mayor of Castro Street. It is about a man named Harvey Milk, who was a gay leader in San Francisco. I went to the library when Patrick told me he was gay, and I did some research because I honestly didn’t know much about it.
When Charlie discovers that Patrick is gay and that this is an important part of Patrick’s identity, he makes a point of finding out more. Charlie didn’t have to go out of his way to learn about the queer experience and find Patrick a meaningful book on gay history, but Charlie naturally wants to participate in the things that are important to his friends. Charlie’s research shows Patrick that Charlie accepts and wants to understand every part of his personhood, which serves to further strengthen their bond of friendship.
I don’t remember where we were walking to or where we were walking from. I don’t even remember the season. I just remember walking between them and feeling for the first time that I belonged somewhere.
Charlie reminisces on a meaningful memory that he’s never told anyone about. He remembers walking in the middle of Sam and Patrick and feeling a true sense of belonging. For Charlie, being the center person in a trio represents a kind of inclusion he’s never experienced before. He’s used to standing on the sidelines and being an outsider in most social situations. When Sam and Patrick naturally place him in the middle of their trio, it symbolizes how Charlie has been fully accepted, and that his friendship is essential to them.
Next came Mary Elizabeth. I gave her forty dollars inside a card. The card said something pretty simple: “To be spent on printing Punk Rocky in color next time.” … Mary Elizabeth just smiled, and said thanks, and then stopped looking at me in the eye.
When Charlie finds gifts for everyone in his friend group during Christmas, the group is impressed and touched by his commitment to their friendship. Charlie is a newbie in the group, and yet he demonstrates that he’s paid attention to what makes each of them happy and fulfilled by finding a gift that relates to something important in their life. Mary Elizabeth is particularly appreciative of her gift and finds Charlie’s thoughtfulness attractive. Charlie’s inclusiveness not only gains him more friends but also the romantic interest of Mary Elizabeth.
All the books you’ve read have been read by other people. And all the songs you’ve loved have been heard by other people. And you know that if you looked at these facts when you were happy, you would feel great because you are describing ‘unity.’
Here, Charlie recognizes that the feeling of unity with other humans is an essential element of happiness. When people feel as if they’re included in the greater network of life and humanity, they’re at peace knowing they have a place and purpose in the universe. This is why books and music give Charlie such meaning and contentment – through art, he connects to people who provide him with comfort and perspective on the human experience.
