Leaving San Diego 14

I have a surprising number of lapel pins. Besides the hundreds I have from a business I let die during a particularly nasty break up I have some from various businesses and organizations I’ve had relationships with.

Member pins from the San Diego Zoo..

Toastmasters pins announcing various positions I’ve held in District 5. Club president, Area Governor and one for a position I never held but must have picked up somewhere.

I have two pins shaped like soldiers carrying feathers from a booth at Comic-con promoting a movie I don’t think I ever saw and now can’t even remember the title.

Sarasota School of Natural Healing Arts still in the plastic.

Three small pins with a big R on them for Realtor.

San Diego Gay Rodeo pin was given to me when I was a back up dancer for a drag queen.

Mini badges from law enforcement officers I befriended on planes. These I used. I would put them my coat while walking through the Tenderloin in San Francisco keeping the homeless from approaching me. (I better keep these).

Membership badges from The Golden Triangle Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, The San Diego Chamber of Commerce and the El Cajon Chamber of Commerce.

A lapel pin announcing that I was a Junior Rotarion. I’ve never been any kind of Rotarion maybe this was left over from a costume party.

Last, but not least, a rainbow striped Mickey Mouse silhouette from gay days at Disney in Anaheim.

I’m finding it hard to throw away these pins for some reason. Maybe because collectively they look like jewelry. Maybe they because of a value I never really believed in even when I was in the organizations they represent. I’m not about to wear them on a sash like some crazed girl scout drag queen or pin collecting Disney enthusiast but I do have a backpack. I realize they’ll come loose and fall off somewhere. Finding a pin from San Diego might be interesting to someone in Florida or Atlanta.