Yesterday was an interesting day, for a number of reasons. Amongst them were two interesting conversations I had. The first was at work in those few minutes before a meeting began. About six or seven months ago, I got transferred into a different department. Most of my new co-workers know I'm gay, and it's no big thing at all. I was telling my co-workers that I was buying a van after work, to which one of them replied, "Oh, that'll be quite the chick magnet." (in a joking type of manner). Jokingly, I kind of rolled my eyes and said, "Pfft, like I care? Please, look who you're talking to." She was like, "Or a dude magnet!" One of the other people at the table, one I don't work with every day because she's in another building, chimed in with, "Well no, chick magnet." A third co-worker, who had been watching this all, says in a sort of joking tone consistent with the lighthearted conversation, "Meh, don't be judgmental." So I finally added, "Besides, I don't need a dude magnet. I already have one!" The conversation continued a bit more, and no one missed a beat. It was great! Later in the evening, I had dropped by my friends' place where I hang out all the time. One of my friends has an online girlfriend (don't ask), and he started laughing and says, "Al, you made XXXXX laugh!" So I ask, "Oh, how did I do that?" Well, he was describing his friends to her, and he was telling her that I was gay and had come out a couple years ago to all of them (they were amongst my firsts). Apparently she had responded with something like "Good for him, must have been hard." He had replied with something like, "Yeah, he has a personality now." I naturally looked a bit curious, so he tells me that after I had come out to everyone, they were hanging out one night before I got there and were all talking about the fact that I had come out, and that when I came out, it all made sense, that before I came out, apparently I was very "guy," as in almost the average stereotype of a manly man. Once I came out, all the sudden the "missing" parts of my personality that I had been supressing showed up and I had a complete personality. I always love what friends will tell you after the fact. My friends have all said on a number of occasions, last night being one of them, that coming out was the best thing I ever did, and I have to agree with them. I found it interesting, though, that coming out gave me a "complete personality."
Friends are always great to tell you stuff after the fact. I hope it all clicks with people once I am more out. Fun story.
Your stories made me smile Everyone seemed to take it well (even if it was a couple of years ago) and it doesn't seem like it was too awkward either. That's how it should always be.
That is very interesting. You know it makes sense if you think about it. Your description of being very "guy" would fit me. Hell my best friend even made it a point to mention that I am still a guy. I might just have to revisit this topic in six months or a year and see what they think. Another cool thing is to look back back at past even and look at them in the context of being openly gay. Like that picture of me playing dress up with my sister. I was about 20 at the time and I was dressed up like a ballerina. I have to say in the current context the picture is even funnier.
