My friend Tony

Mattie Madison

My friend Tony contacted me yesterday. It was good to hear from him.  I have known him for over ten years.  That is hard to believe.  So that would make him about 34-ish now.  That is hard to believe since I’m only 28.  My, how time flies when you lie about your age.  I came out in 1994. At first I was met people through my cousin Johnny.  Johnny was gay too and he introduced me to his friends.  I was at the bar one night, and a mutual friend came in.  I would tell you this persons name, but it is not important. I will just call him D.  He had another guy with him.  That was Tony.  Tony was young and fresh out of high school. It was about 1996 and Tony was attending a local junior college.   He is a couple of years younger than me.  He graduated from Archer City High School in 1995. Our mutual friend, D,  pulled me aside and told me not to talk to Tony.  Apparently he was interested in him as a potential boyfriend.  Tony was to be off limits.  I was ugly, awkward and shy.  Honestly I was no competition.  Tony just looked like a nice guy who had grown up in small town, like I did.  We could possibly have things in common.  And we did.  We had both been involved in theatre.  We both enjoyed similar music.  In fact we even knew a girl who had moved from my school to his.  Small world.   I wrote a quick note on a bar napkin. ‘im not supposed to talk to you’ it read.  Tony replied ‘what? Why not?’ We kept passing notes like two kids in class.   It has become a kind of a joke with him and I now.  Tony also introduced me to some of his college friends.  They had their own little group.  Tony started coming to some of the drag shows too.  In fact I have a picture of him in my drag album, Tony tipping at one of the shows.  He looked so young, but always well dressed.  Tony ended up transferring to Texas Tech in Lubbock.  I went for a weekend visit once.  He was working and attending school. He had a full life.  I don’t remember too much about that trip. Only that I went.  I’m sure we had a good time.  Tony has always been a fun loving person.  We both live in the Dallas area now. Over the past couple of years, we have not really been in the same circle of friends. Tony has been through a few different relationships too.   I would run into him at shows and he would tell me bits and pieces of his life. 

I will never forget him being there for me on several occasions.  He was a back up dancer for me when I competed at a large pageant.  He was so cute in his square dance outfit.  Also he was there when my husband passed away.  I was an emotional mess.  I remember him hugging me and showing comfort.  It was good to have friends around me.  Tony also helped me move once.  I don’t know what I would have done with out him that day, so many others cancelled on me.    Tony also invited me on a weekend trip to a place called Rainbow Ranch.  It is a gay camp ground. I was broke.  But I managed to roll 65 dollars in pennies I had set aside for a rainy day.   That Coin Star machine hated me that day.  But it was worth it.   It was so much fun. It was the Fourth of July weekend.   They had drag shows in the outdoor amphitheater.  There were dozens of acts that night.  Tony had made arrangements for us to stay with his friend.  I think he was the care taker of the camp.  So we would not have to sleep in a tent down at the main camp ground.  I had the best time, I met new people and they loved my drag numbers.   I felt like a superstar. 

I am not sure why Tony contacted me; I assume that he has been going through a transitional phase of life.  I understand that.  He apparently has come to realize that some of his friends were not close friends after all.  It is good to know that he misses our friendship. I miss it too.  But frankly, it has been there all along.  I hope to see him in person soon. Maybe I will ask him to lunch or something. He is probably the only person in Dallas County that knew me before I was "Mattie Madison: the Texas Tornado".  I was just a boy in a dress back in 1996.   Tony is a good guy with a good heart.   I am sure it will take about 30 seconds to pick up our friendship where it left off.