The Flip Side: Damian meets Chye

Chye readers,

I’m Damian and Chye asked me to think back and share our meeting experience from my perspective. I had been working for a different company and after three months decided that I was not happy with the job. So my best buddy, Leo, who lived down the hall from me, helped me with my resume to apply for a customer service position in Best Buy. I got the Job of course and met Chye in my training class. 

There were about 30 people in the training class and the class room we started in was not large enough to hold us all for computer training. We were split into two groups. Chye ended up in the other group so we didn’t really get the opportunity to chat with one another until we got smoke breaks and lunch. I think the first thing I remember about her is a nick name she shared with the class. It was one that she’d given herself and I was immediately intrigued. “Who would call themselves tot?” I though. I had to know more about this girl. Hour long lunch breaks gave us plenty of time to get to know everything we needed to about each other. We quickly bonded over conversation about only god knows what. I knew one thing; this girl had a lot of energy, she was funny, and totally focused on what she wanted in life. So like a moth to a light; I was hooked. 

I had been planning a party for my 20th birthday which was coming up and our month long training class was about to end. I decided to invite some of the people from the class that I’d gotten to know. Chye was at the top of my list and I was very excited to find that she had been a bartender previously so she would be shaking up some tasty treats. 

The night of the party came and chye and I shared a ton of laughs over boys in the kitchen. A side note: Why does everyone always end up in the kitchen at a party? Anyway The night was a fantastic blur and Leo was also there. This was the night they a really got a chance to connect and it was awesome The three of us hung out all the time. Chye showed me how to become more comfortable with myself and I showed her what my life was like in the gay culture. 

We’ve been sharing things with one another ever since and I’m very happy to say that she is one of my best and most dear friends. We always have a good time and catching up is never hard to do. That’s how you know a real friend. Thanks for asking me to share my recollection of this. I was a nice walk down memory lane. Love ya. 

Xoxo Damian

Move your body like a cyclone

Around the time that Todd and I broke up I decided it was time for a career change.  I was working for an appraisal company at the time and wanted to work for a company that had more room for growth.  I found a job posting for customer service representatives at the corporate offices of Best Buy.  I jumped at the opportunity to work for one of Minnesota’s largest corporations.

Our training class was HUGE so at first it was really difficult to remember everyone’s names.  There was Steve, the middle-aged man who thought he knew everything, Sally, the eccentric one with the infectious laugh, Michelle, the “blonde” brunette, and Damian, the outgoing and always smiling gay man.  There were about 30 of us, so I can’t write about (or even remember for that matter) everyone, sorry guys.

There were so many of us that we had to be split into two groups for our computer training, Damian and I were in different groups but very once and a while we would all get together.  Whenever we did, I seemed to gravitate toward Damian.  He was funny, kind, and one of those people that everyone wanted to know.  He was unlike anyone I had met before.  Pretty soon we were going on our lunch breaks together and hanging out after work.  We would spend our afternoons driving around listening to “Press Play”, smoking cigarettes, and gossiping about anything and everything.  We were besties.

Damian took me to my first gay bar, The Gay 90’s.  He wasn’t old enough to drink yet so we’d “pre-party” before we left for the bar and dance our butts off when we got there.  I can honestly say those were some the best nights of my life and I’ve never sweat so much!


Damian actually introduced me to Leo (Yes, my current roomie...more on him coming soon).  He worked in the same department as us at Best Buy Corp. but started there a few months before we did.  Leo helped me and Damian get settled into the call center that had about hundreds of employees and showed us around.

Damian was my first gay friend and is still a HUGE part of my life even though he lives in Minneapolis while I’m here in Dallas.  He is one of the people that I credit with opening my eyes and making me into the woman I am today.  I was able to hang out with him for a short time when I was back home for my niece’s birth and we picked up like we’d never been apart, that’s when you know it’s a true friendship.  Damian will make an appearance throughout my blog.  J