Birds of a Feather (or Free Mondo)
At the moment, my office looks like the nest of some odd, eclectic bird.
I’m sitting in my home office which at the moment looks like the nest of some odd, eclectic bird. There are the standard stacks of un-filed documents and various Post-its scattered about the room, but today pieces of art, brightly colored poster-boards, and boxes of unclaimed treasure also sit in wait.
I don’t make disorganization a habit. Normally, I would have attacked this disaster and put everything in its place. Filed, labeled, and stored away. But today the chaos is comforting. The madness feels right. I don’t want to put these past few days away.
When Mondo approached me and presented the task of organizing a silent auction fundraiser for CAP & Rainbow Alley with no budget and only a week and a half to do it, I gulped. I am an ambitious person, but even I felt daunted by the challenge. A mental scroll of things to do rolled off the table in my head and spilled into the next room.
I am nearly incapable of saying no to Mondo. I’ve tried, but my reason always seems to play dead in most situations. I keep saying yes not because I am obligated, but because I love my friend—even when he drives me crazy. Especially when he drives me crazy.
Our planning for the benefit was sporadic and frenzied. Team Mondo consisted of Mondo and his husband Ben, Tran Wills of Fabric Lab, my partner Jeff, and me. We met once for breakfast to delegate responsibilities, but conducted most of our affairs independently, corresponding mainly through Facebook and phone calls.
Mondo Guerra, image courtesy of Vivid Photography Studio
We brainstormed on ways to generate donations in addition to the auction items, and unanimously applauded Jeff’s suggestion to sell prints and set up a photo booth. We shot some new portraits of Mondo and Michael then promoted the event aggressively online. I hung up flyers at Auraria Campus, announced the benefit through Examiner.com, and sent press releases to local media all in the hope that if we built it, they would come.
I took time off from classes to fit all of the necessary tasks into my schedule. My nights were late and long, filled with what seemed like countless form templates and item descriptions. I felt a nagging anxiety beginning to build in my chest from fear of failure if I didn’t accomplish this endeavor impeccably.
When Thursday came and the benefit loomed in dwindling hours, I was tense and apprehensive wondering what the evening held in store. We began set-up for the event and despite some space constraints and too few scissors, the stage was set. With Team Mondo volunteers at the ready and a game plan in play, we began the benefit.
At first, a reluctant scattering of people milled about the venue, taking stock, but saving their bids. They nodded at the items with interest, but the auction sheets remained mostly blank.
Then, Mondo & Michael arrived.
It’s still slightly odd when I see Mondo received with such adoration and appreciation. I remember times when we would receive dirty and dismissive looks for dressing out of norm. Now, people embrace it. They are inspired by it. Mondo is becoming the face for everyone who has ever felt different. Everyone who has ever stared into a crowd of people and felt alone.
Once the headliners had arrived, the party really started. The crowd swelled to the rooms’ capacity and suddenly I felt dizzy with the surge. I gathered my wits and stepped out of the bar to run some boxes to my car and catch a breath of fresh air. That’s when I saw the line of guests sprawled down the block.
“This is happening,” I whispered to myself, as if to assuage my disbelief.
I maneuvered my way through the heavy crowd and sought refuge at the DJ booth with Craig C. Just when I didn’t think it could get any busier, it did. Beauty Bar was bursting with bidders. Before I knew it, I found myself with a microphone in my hand and a writhing, smiling audience to address. What had begun as a tentative effort had exploded into a triumphant success.
As the episode started, I braced myself for the impact. Being part of the circle of friends that were privy to Mondo’s HIV status, I had become intimate with the knowledge and the struggle he had experienced from denying its disclosure.
I am normally a very composed individual in public spaces. I recoil at the thought of being vulnerable in front of strangers. I cannot imagine what Mondo must have been feeling. As the moments of the episode built to his confession on the runway, I suddenly wished I were by my friend’s side.
I searched the crowd for Mondo’s trademark bouffant and found him in the front with Michael and his partner Richard. Surrounded by a sea of family, friends, and supporters, the tension built intimidating surf. As he spoke the words, “I feel free,” the wave broke and the room became flooded with emotion.
A tall man openly wept, his broad shoulders heaving with the news. A woman in an elegant cocktail dress dabbed at the mascara that rolled down her cheeks. Some people were holding each other and others were wailing with a haunting mix of encouragement and remorse.
When Heidi Klum announced Mondo the winner of the challenge and $20,000, the cheers were deafening. Just as the rollercoaster of emotion had plunged us unto a gut-turning valley, it propelled us into elation. (Photo courtesy of McBoat Photography)
I was overcome. My body quivered and my eyes watered uncontrollably. I tried to choke back the sobs but they burst through my lips in gasps. The experience was wrenching and profound.
I attempted to regain some composure at the commercial break and humbly spoke to the crowd, “Is there a dry eye in this room?” I asked. Through the din of sniffles and cry sounds, the only words I could find to say were, “We love you, Mondo. Thank you.”
I turned to my fellow booth mates Jeff, musician Matt Morris, his partner Sean, and DJ Craig C and fanned my eyes, smiling through the gravity of what had just happened. I felt so privileged to have been able to share that moment. From what I could discern, the entire room felt the same way.
When Heidi Klum announced Mondo the winner of the challenge and $20,000, the cheers were deafening. Just as the rollercoaster of emotion had plunged us unto a gut-turning valley, it propelled us into elation. I was ridiculously proud and unforgettably moved.
The photo booth sold out of prints with the sheer volume of people who were eager to share a moment with the evening’s hero. The fact that Michael Costello was also there was like icing on the cake. (Photo courtesy of Vivid Photography Studio)
The auction sheets didn’t remain blank for long after the episode’s end. Inspired by Mondo’s courage, guests dug deep into their pockets and gave generously. The photo booth sold out of prints with the sheer volume of people who were eager to share a moment with the evening’s hero. The fact that Michael Costello was also there was like icing on the cake.
The benefit ran late. It seemed nobody wanted to leave the moment. When the crowd did finally clear and the boxes were all packed in the car, I took Mondo into my arms and hugged him for a few seconds longer than usual.
That weekend, we celebrated like rockstars. Michael and Richard were absurdly fun. I miss their quick wit and irreverent humor. I let Serra Tonyn take a spin at Compound on Friday, then again at Tracks on Saturday.
Mondo wrestled the enormity of Thursday’s episode admirably. There are times when he resents the effects of his increased visibility, but ultimately I believe he understands that this is just the beginning of a great adventure.
As I stare at the watercolor portrait of Mondo by Paul Moschell alongside a framed remnant of Mondo’s challenge-winning pattern, I decide to let the office nest remain untouched for just one more day. Then, it’s back to filed, labeled, and stored away. Until then, I will recover my energy to be ready when the birds spread their wings.
