new guy coming out

[panda]

Hi! I'm panda I'm 62 and slowly coming out very scary but there's also a wonderful freedom to finally admit it.You all seem like nice people and I hope I can learn something and maybe give support to someone else.

[Today4U]

Welcome to the forum! I' m new here to!
:smilewave

[panda]

Hi Today4U you have a wonderful life to live Thanks

[Choucho]

Well hello! ^_^
My name's Jacob, nice to meet you.
The people here are very marvelous specimens indeed, I'm sure they will all make you feel very welcome, and congrats on coming out! ^_^
Hope you enjoy yourself here!

[halfcajun]

Hello Panda:
I'm new here too, so I can relate to the scary part. I have a friend who can out, newly-divorced at 61. He thought his life was over. On his 65th b-day, he toasted the people surrounding him, telling us how great his life has become. And, lol, his sex life was was far more interesting than mine.
Hang in there,
Bill

[Torture]

Hello and welcome Panda.

[Gera-Kun]

Hello and welcome!^^ Call me Gera-Kun if you wish!^^

[godfather]

hi welcome to EC hope you enjoy it:icon_bigg

[Kimi]

Hi and Welcome to empty closets(!) (!)

I think you gonna have a lot of fun here!! And also any advises or supports will be appreciated:thumbsup:

Hope to see you around:smilewave

[Paul_UK]

Hi Panda - Welcome to EC! :)

[SpikySpice]

Hi Panda, welcome to EC:wave:

Well, I'm sure you are happy when you accept yourself and feel teh freedome

And I'm sure you'll find lots of support here for your coming out, you may feel it's scary now, but I'm sure you'll succeed

[panda]

Thanks to all of you for your words of support it's very much appreciated.A lot of the little smiley faces,and other little critters I don't understand.and what does "lol" mean

[Behling]

Welcome to EC!!!!!!
I hope you like it here. As for lol, It is an acronym for "laughing out loud" or "laugh out loud" Welcome to EC and have fun

[Emile]

Hi and welcome to EC!

[mark]

howdy

[Double Dubya]

Hia panda!!
WW :wave:

[Psych!]

Hi and Welcome :smilewave

[Hydrogen]

Welcome.. Let us know if you need anything.

[Paul_UK]

The smiley faces etc are just ways of expressing emotion. Sometimes with written stuff you lose the feedback you'd get from looking at the other person's face, so you can't tell whether they are joking or serious etc. So in the early days of email people started using :-) to represent smiling, ;-) for winking, :-( for sad etc (they are sideways).

Forum software like this took it a lot further by showing them as images and allowing us to have loads of them. So :icon_bigg and :) are just the person smiling, :icon_wink is winking, :icon_sad: is sad, :icon_redf is embarassed, (*hug*) is giving you a hug etc. If you hold your mouse pointer over any you don't understand it should tell you what they are.

All the ones in the replies are happy - smiling, waving, and even the dancing bananas! People are pleased to see you and are welcoming you.

No, I don't know who came up with dancing bananas, but we like them here!
(!) (!!) (!) (!!) (!)

[TriBi]

Hey - Welcome Panda :smilewave

Always good to have someone new to add to our diversity here - and, yes, they're a great crowd here...I hope you'll enjoy the place!

[panda]

Wow! I feel as if I'm becoming part of something special.I'm sort of choked up as I write this.I haven't made any new friends in years and years and years and to to be able to actually talk about this stuff instead of keeping it inside is pretty overwhelming.

[Miaplacidus]

Hello, I'm Frederick (Fred please). I'm glad to see adults joining the site too. Welcome to EC!!!

[step49x]

Hello, and welcome to EC!

I have to say, I have always been amazed at the age span we have here. It's part of the reason I love this place. :)

[LorenzG1950]

Welcome panda:welcome: You'll find that this is a pretty amazing place. I "discovered" that I was gay at 56. There are a few other older folks and late-comers like us. Feel free to ask questions and I'm certain you will receive some good advice. :smilewave

[Paul_UK]

I have to say, I have always been amazed at the age span we have here. It's part of the reason I love this place. :)

The great thing is that ages are generally irrelevant here. Everyone just gets along fine regardless of age, background etc.

[Jim1454]

Hi Panda! I'm a little slow in getting back in here. I'm also in Toronto, and am in the process of coming out now - in my mid 30s.

Don't hestiate to send me a private message if you want to chat more. Welcome to EC!