{"product_id":"i-was-born-pretty-please-be-patient-please-be-kind-paperback","title":"I was born \"pretty\": Please Be Patient. Please Be Kind. - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJimmy Belasco\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSome people were born smart. I was born \"pretty.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere I was, Forrest-Gumping it across America-no Nikes, just me and my car. Six months, coast to coast, with a grin that said, \"I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm fully committed.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhy the sudden escape? I was down to my last marble. After two years as a full-time caregiver for my parents during COVID-Dad being his ever-appreciative but Commander-in-Chief self, and Mom having just made her final exit-I needed out of that house. It was the road or a straitjacket.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrowing up gay in a conservative church-with Dad as the minister and a brother starring in his own production of \u003cem\u003eThe Gayest Show on Earth\u003c\/em\u003e and paying the price for it-I ran headfirst into the closet. But after Mom died, I wasn't running-I was searching, maybe for a marble or two. Instead, I found pearls.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the road, I started talking to Mom. Yes, the dear, dead one. And to my shock, she answered-with nuggets of wisdom I'd ignored for decades. What I chased my whole life, Mom's pearls finally led me to-and made my life worth loving.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt took over half a century-and my dear, dead mom-to figure it out.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI'm so damn \"pretty,\" I can't stand it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 246\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.56 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 16, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49555764019352,"sku":"9798994002711","price":35.78,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8830\/4024\/files\/NcV3tu19Bi9798994002711.webp?v=1785003630","url":"https:\/\/thepinkflamingobooks.myshopify.com\/products\/i-was-born-pretty-please-be-patient-please-be-kind-paperback","provider":"The Pink Flamingo","version":"1.0","type":"link"}