2024 has been a long year of ups, downs and all arounds, but I want to focus on the ups. There is still plenty of my New England Adventure I haven’t blogged about. This is due in part to a decrease in a desire to write, but that’s not what I want 2024 to be known for. Rather, as the title of this post suggests, this is the year I met a singer/actress I’ve admired for a long time.  |
| Did Providence guide me to Providence or was it just Dave? |
When Dave of My Gay Opinion, who invited me to the East Coast specifically for the Rhode Island Comic Con, and I were in line to meet Julie Brown, my hands started to sweat. There she was, only a few people away from me. My 16 year-old self was bouncing off the walls because he would’ve never imagined getting to meet the star of JUST SAY JULIE and the singer of THE HOMECOMING QUEEN’S GOT A GUN! Was this really happening? Did I hop on my first commercial flight and travel halfway across the country to meet Julie Brown? Yes, it was really happening and yes, I flew way out of my comfort zone just for this moment!  |
| Masked for my protection against people! |
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| Disappointing there was no gremlin on the wing! |
During Dave’s turn, he broke the ice for me by mentioning to Miss Brown that I flew here from Nebraska, so it was easy to slip into a conversation with her as she autographed my CD of TRAPPED IN THE BODY OF A WHITE GIRL. |
| I hope you’re totally jealous! |
I stayed relatively calm as I told Julie Brown how she has creatively inspired me and how I was probably the only teenager who watched MTV with a parent. As I told Miss Brown, my mom enjoyed JUST SAY JULIE and said Julie reminded her of Lucille Ball. Then I got my picture taken with Miss Brown and I look like the big fanboy who was totally geeking out. I’m sure if 100 pics could have been snapped, I would’ve looked unapologetically over the moon in all of them!  |
| A freakboy and his idol! |
After the photo, Julie Brown and I talked a bit more. She was truly surprised I came all the way from Nebraska. I told her how Dave and I were planning to hit New York City the next day and how amazing my trip had been already. Then Miss Brown said she had to give me a hug! I wasn’t gonna refuse, so we hugged! Yes, Julie Brown and I hugged!!! My 16 year-old self was less of a hugger than I am, but I knew he was freaking out in the best way possible. After that sweetly surreal moment, Miss Brown was then polite enough to give Dave a hug, but I’ll never let him forget Julie hugged me first!
My New England Adventure could’ve ended there and I would’ve been satisfied. However, meeting Julie Brown was really only the beginning and I’ll try to blog more about it in 2025.
Thanks for reading my blog this year. I appreciate your support.
Freak Out,
JLH
P.S. click a pic ⤵️ for more about my New England Adventure…
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Click the pic ⤵️ to experience the most viewed tale of 2024…
