Keep it Together was the ninth track on the Like A Prayer album. I played this album over and over and over. I never got sick of it. Everyone else in the world was listening to the Like A Prayer single and talking about the video. I connected with “Keep It Together.” This song described my home life perfectly. – “Brothers and sisters they hold the key to your heart and your soul, Don’t forget that your family is gold.”
My Private Life
A couple of years passed by and needless to say, Titus and I caused a commotion everywhere we went. People were always talking about us for some reason. As far as gay interracial couples go, we did make a lovely, exciting couple. I was white, 6’5″ tall and thin, Titus was black, 5’4″ tall, and very stocky and muscular.
I learned a lot about myself while dating Titus.
My Family Life
On October 10, 1988, my oldest nephew, Thomas, died from a drug overdose. He was 26 years old. His untimely death devastated my family and sent everyone into a state of shock and depression.
In 1989 my mother and father both were very sick. My father was suffering from his second stroke, while my mother’s Parkinson’s Disease made her shake uncontrollably. I was still living at home and trying my very best to deal with the situation, but it was adding a lot of stress to almost everyone in the family. At times we seemed to be at each other throats over every little thing. The great news that year was that my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Along with my brothers and my sister, we threw them an anniversary party and invited all of the extended family to gather in celebration.
I thought about the fact that my mother and father had spent fifty years together. They went through some pretty difficult times, which affected me and all of my siblings very differently. But no matter how bad things got at times, they did a great job providing for their children and sticking through the tough times. I’m sure it wasn’t easy being married that long, but they found a way to stay together, and I always admired them for that.
I, on the other hand, had all sorts of relationship challenges. Not long after breaking things off with Titus, I attempted to bring someone home to meet my family; a native American. My family had a horrible reaction that left me thoroughly embarrassed, and him feeling very uncomfortable. I didn’t like seeing my family react this way and so I didn’t bring any more men around for a while after that experience. Even though I was completely out, I still had to lead two separate lives. I did this for the sake of keeping peace in the family. I understood it, but I didn’t like it.
I continued to love my family a great deal, but in the back of my mind, I couldn’t wait to get out to experience the world and see how other people lived their lives. Sometimes, it was tough keeping it together, but I made a sacrifice because I loved my family so much. They made their fair share of sacrifices, too.
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Keep, keep it together
Keep people together forever and ever
I got brothers, I got some sisters too
Stuck in the middle tell you what I’m gonna do
Gonna get out of here, I’m gonna leave this place
So I can forget every single hungry face
I’m tired of sharing all the hand me downs
To get attention I must always be the clown
I wanna be different, I wanna be on my own
But Daddy said listen, you will always have a home
Keep it together in the family
They’re a reminder of your history
Brothers and sisters they hold the key
To your heart and your soul
Don’t forget that your family is gold
I hit the big time but I still get the blues
Everyone’s a stranger, city life can get to you
People can be so cold, never want to turn your back
Just givin’ to get something
Always wanting something back
When I get lonely and I need to be
Loved for who I am, not what they want to see
Brothers and sisters, they’ve always been there for me
We have a connection, home is where the heart should be
When I look back on all the misery
And all the heartache that they brought to me
I wouldn’t change it for another chance
‘Cause blood is thicker than any other circumstance
When I get lonely and I need to be
Loved for who I am, not what they want to see
Brothers and sisters, they’ve always been there for me
We have a connection, home is where the heart should be
