And I stepped out of the closet...

Hello all! First, an introduction.

I'm Aaron! I'm 19, and have been out of the closet since March of 2004. I;m mainly into sailing, and have done a lot of it as a Sea Cadet. I'm just a really nice, fun guy who loves to laugh. Coming out was the best thing I have ever done. I was alive before I came out, but I wasn't living.

It started around last February. I turned 18 that month, and realized that I was 18, closeted, and depressed. I decided to change that. I spent weeks deciding who I would come out to. I finally decided on my friend from the Kootenays, who was gonna come down for Spring Break. Well, unfortunatly, she cancelled, and I was left without anyone.

I decided not let that stop me. I told my friend Matt, who would be a good friend for sometime afterwards. I rehearsed it for days. I was soooo nervous. I knew, though, that if I didn't, I woudl regret it. It was a wednesday. Two Wednesdays before Spring Break, and there I was. I sat alone in a room, with him bitching about one of our officers.

"Matt?"
"Yeah?"
"Umm...I'm...oh, f*ck never mind."
"What?"
"Jesus...I'm gay."

He sat back and stared at me. I was shaking. Sweating. Not breathing.

"Well that explains a lot."

He said that it made sense, since I never talked about sex or anything. It felt so good to be out to just one person. I went on a coming out rampage, so to speak. I told everyone at work, my friends at cadets.

My mom was hard. She already knew, but to have it confirmed kind of crushed her. It was weird for days, but we talked, and she was good with it. She said that she would support me, no matter what.

From their it was easy. Over the year, I came out to everyone, and now am happier than I have ever been. It was easier for me than it is for some, but it was still stressful.

I know it was a bit vague, but I figured since there is a forum for it, I might as well post!

Aaron

[Paul_UK]

Aaron - that's great! Thanks for sharing your experiences.

As you have found, the first one is always the most difficult, and the more people you tell the easier it becomes.

[hawkeye]

Originally Posted by hincoq

I was alive before I came out, but I wasn't living.

I love this quote! Thanks for giving your story.

[goratrix]

Thanks for sharing... that gives me courage. And that bit about being alive but not living... I couldn't have put it better... it's exactly like I feel right now. Though I'm out to a friend... I still feel in the closet... I just want to burst the door open and see the world.

[cowboy_wannabe]

aww! great story! i love the "that explains a lot" quote... it's something i hear often

...that's it, lol...

[Wired106]

Wow that's great. I really hope I have the courage to do that one day. Unfortunately I go to an all boys school and if I did that then I would get killed with teasing..

WOW. Congrats on digging up a thread thats been dead over two years.