thelesbianlifestyle.com

My family was never bound together by deep seeded ties. I was born and raised over on the left coast in Santa Cruz, Ca. My Mother (a rather unorthodox woman) felt no need for command performance, especially when it came sprinkled with guilt and obligation. It’s not that I never knew my aunts Lisa and Lois; I just never had a good sense of their true selves, outside of the obvious fact that we were kin. When I did see my family our visits were insubstantial and happened once in a blue moon.

It was time for me to leave San Francisco, as nice as it was for nine years I had to move out and move on up to NYC. To chase dreams and far fetched notions. After taking off I felt my stomach turn not once but twice. Later, I woke to find myself curled into the fetal position with my pants around my ankles on the bathroom floor. I’d had an anxiety attack and fainted. Crawling on my knees I began to puke my macaroni and cheese guts out. That was the meal I ate before departing from my native land.

When I moved to New York my aunt Lisa opened her home to me. I knew that for the first time I would not only get to know my aunt, but also would have the opportunity to see her in a different light. One that was my own, and not through my Mother’s lens.

After landing in JFK I was greeted by Lois, Lisa’s partner of 7 years, who professed to me in her greeting that I “looked like shit” and soon thereafter she offered to buy me some grub at the Imperial Diner in Freeport, one of the neighboring towns. She bought me a lox omelet and proceeded to exclaim the difference between Nova Lox and Gravlax for an hour. “You know, Nova Lox is much fresher and salty, fills the pallet, that’s why it’s better.”

When we arrived to my new home I was directed to “drop your crap in the foyer and go wash your hands, you never know what kind of filth you’re bringing into the house.” Lois is a germaphobe. She has been one ever since she had a bout with salmonella from a sushi dinner she ate over a decade ago. I took this as Lois’s polite way of saying “go entertain yourself, I can’t be bothered…”. “I can’t be bothered” is a colorful saying she would inserts into any kind of chore or task would fall upon her.

Lisa arrived home from Dr. Donnas’, her chiropractor of eight years, professing “that woman can work magic; she cured my hot flashes, and I feel no pain from my inflamed lower discs.” Lisa is a stenographer who works in Nassau County Family Court.

We went to dinner at Taste of Italy where Lisa had pasta with capers and anchovies and Lois ate the pesto gnocchi with a large diet coke – “very little ice.” We talked about the color they painted my room, Jamaica Blue Sky. Turns out it is the color of the therapy room of Lois’ second cousin – once removed. Lisa exclaims “You know, she lives out in Queens, very nice girl, she just graduated from massage school. I felt it was a beautiful color and one that would suit you and your room very nicely. You always said you liked blue!”

After dinner we quickly stopped into nearby BJ’s Wholesale Club for a little shopping. We picked up a flat of Diet Red Bull; this is Lois’ favorite drink. She says that it’s kind of like cocaine but legal. It gives her the kick in the ass she needs to start her day. Lois has two Red Bulls before noon and a cup of tea before dinner, EVERYDAY. Lisa says that it smells like vomit but “if she goes without her daily dose she is real outta whack, you betta stay outta her way”.

Before we ended our adventure we pulled the car into the parking lot of Carvel. We got our soft serve with dried coconut to go, so that they could get home to watch ONDEMAND King of Queens and CSI: Crime Unit Investigation. It’s Lisa and Lois’ daily ritual, a time honored tradition set aside for weekends and special occasions.

During the eight months I lived with my aunts I began to video record my time. I collected footage of them and their typical antics; antics of adoration for one another mixed in with the variety of abrasive remarks and crass life anecdotes they have no shortage of. I got to know them and began to see them as quirky smart asses. From this whole experience I can say that we have gotten to know each other. Or maybe I should just say, “I have a very abstract understanding of their persons, and they of mine.”

I have launched a fundraiser for my project on Kickstarter. I’m asking the World at Large for help with the financing of this short. The money will be used to sprinkle the sparkling oddities that are Lesbians of Long Island near and far. It will help pay for international and domestic film festival admission fees, it will also help with production costs, distribution and other miscellaneous fees that generally get racked up when producing a film. I’m asking the world to help me raise $3,500. This would be no small feat, but it can be accomplished with your help.

I’ve attached a link for your viewing pleasure of the trailer for Lesbians of Long Island: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/berylfine/lesbians-of-long-island.

Many Thanks,
Beryl Fine