This week has seen another big announcement as pertains to gay rights in our country. Hawaii became the 16th state to approve gay marriage. Pair that with earlier this year a large part of the federal law commonly known as DOMA being struck down by the Supreme Court and other states legalizing gay marriage and you see a tide of change and more is expected.
As a 35 year old man looking back to my younger years I can truly say that it does get better. In elementary school I was different, but didn't know why. In middle school the word gay starting being said against me. Bulling was common place, but back then no one saw or did anything about it. It appeared to just be a fact of life. In high school the bullies seemed to back off some and I suspect it had more to do with my father's death than anything else. In college and shortly after I began to realize what gay was and started the healing path with the help of great friends and support. It was still scary, but not as scary as the halls of school where threats seemed to be everywhere. They could lurk around the corner, in the bathroom or even a class room as the teacher turned to write on the chaulk board. Dark thoughts pervaided my life during those times, but somehow life kept me going. I'm glad it did otherwise I wouldn't know the joy and happiness that life had on the other side.
It took a long time to overcome those issues and money well spent in therapy. I'm happy to say I no longer harbor ill will to those bullies. I'm indifferent to their reasonings or any explanations. I no longer dread times spent back home. No longer look at the school building with cold chills and sadness. It's just a building. It's a place I once spent time. It's a memory. Defining moments in a persons life are made every day not just at one point in your life.
I choose to be happy. I choose to look on the brighter side of life.
My only regret in life is that I wasn't strong enough to come to this conclusion sooner. That I couldn't have been this strong person years before so that I could have helped someone dear to me through his dark hours in that same school. I'm happy he made it through, but I feel so sorry that I couldn't help him more. I wasn't there for him as an uncle should be who knows what it's like. If I'd just had the strength to stand up for myself back then and say I have worth rather than feeling like life would be better without me. I could have made a difference far sooner.
Fast forward to 2013 and gay is, in many ways, not an issue to a large percentage of the population. Kids today are coming out in elementary school and middle school. Shows are on TV showing the diversity of life that we all have not just some of us.
I am blessed in so many ways. Life gets better everyday. Life is GOOD! Life is what we choose to make of it and it is a choice we make every single day.
Peace, Love and Puppy Dogs!
John
As a 35 year old man looking back to my younger years I can truly say that it does get better. In elementary school I was different, but didn't know why. In middle school the word gay starting being said against me. Bulling was common place, but back then no one saw or did anything about it. It appeared to just be a fact of life. In high school the bullies seemed to back off some and I suspect it had more to do with my father's death than anything else. In college and shortly after I began to realize what gay was and started the healing path with the help of great friends and support. It was still scary, but not as scary as the halls of school where threats seemed to be everywhere. They could lurk around the corner, in the bathroom or even a class room as the teacher turned to write on the chaulk board. Dark thoughts pervaided my life during those times, but somehow life kept me going. I'm glad it did otherwise I wouldn't know the joy and happiness that life had on the other side.
It took a long time to overcome those issues and money well spent in therapy. I'm happy to say I no longer harbor ill will to those bullies. I'm indifferent to their reasonings or any explanations. I no longer dread times spent back home. No longer look at the school building with cold chills and sadness. It's just a building. It's a place I once spent time. It's a memory. Defining moments in a persons life are made every day not just at one point in your life.
I choose to be happy. I choose to look on the brighter side of life.
My only regret in life is that I wasn't strong enough to come to this conclusion sooner. That I couldn't have been this strong person years before so that I could have helped someone dear to me through his dark hours in that same school. I'm happy he made it through, but I feel so sorry that I couldn't help him more. I wasn't there for him as an uncle should be who knows what it's like. If I'd just had the strength to stand up for myself back then and say I have worth rather than feeling like life would be better without me. I could have made a difference far sooner.
Fast forward to 2013 and gay is, in many ways, not an issue to a large percentage of the population. Kids today are coming out in elementary school and middle school. Shows are on TV showing the diversity of life that we all have not just some of us.
I am blessed in so many ways. Life gets better everyday. Life is GOOD! Life is what we choose to make of it and it is a choice we make every single day.
Peace, Love and Puppy Dogs!
John
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