My very first blog ever!!

Hey! Martin here...

So Kahlo created this new webpage for Adventure Out! I think that it is fantastic! But I didn't realize that I would be blogging too... This is a new experience for me.

Things have been very very busy for the Adventure Out! Team. We are adding a few new events this year including Movie Nights, more Cooking School, Wellness Workshops,and a trip to the Bosque del Apache. This webpage is new (thanks to Kahlo), and our MySpace page is reaching more people than ever. We are providing more programs and events than Adventure Out! has ever done in the past.

I've been thinking about some of the stuff that we all talked about after watching "Milk", and reflecting on the things that Kahlo put into his most recent blog about Gay Heros... I have been trying to think about who I would consider a hero. Who do I look up to as a Gay Man? Who inspires me? Who leads by example? Who has made significant change in the Human Rights Movement?

I know that there are probably many people who fit into these categories, but I just do not know who they are... We have done a miserable job of passing on information about Gay History and Gay Icons to the younger generations. Many young gay guys have told me that they didn't even know who Harvey Milk was until the movie came out. I am concerned by this. How do we face this problem?

I do not know...

But, I think that a good first step is to spend time thinking about the issue. Ask yourself those questions. Discuss it with a close friend or your Partner. Google "Gay History" and do some research on powerful Gay Figures. But above all, spend some time thinking about the issue!

I have spent a lot of time thinking about this since Sunday and have come to an important realization about heros in general and who I would consider my hero. I need to have a better definition of what a Hero is. Is it really necessary for a hero to be someone who has made significant change? I think that if someone has done this then they would most definitely qualify, but is it really necessary? Are the other qualities I am looking for more important?

To me, a hero is someone who is an inspiration to me and others, someone who leads by example, and perhaps most importantly, someone that I look up to.

With this shift in definition for heros, I have found that I do in fact have many heros. Many of you reading this right now are people I consider a hero. I work in the same office with many of my heros. My partner is one of my heros. There are heros in almost every aspect of my life, I have just never thought of them in that way. They inspire me, advocate for those in need, counsel me, mentor the next generation, teach valuable life-lessons, listen, and face tremendous challenges every day.

I feel better now that I have come to this conclusion. I am surrounded by heros. I look up to them all. Thanks for reading this, I hope that it helps you find the heros in your life!