Don't know why I had it in my head that my anniversary here was July 28th when it was actually July 21st--so I went and missed it completely! So, a year (and a week) ago, I found this site. I had finally accepted that I was gay a few months prior and had nervously told a couple people I trusted, and was trying to figure out what to do about my life, particularly with regards to my marriage and family. Should I file for divorce and then eventually start a "fabulous gay life" as a single man? Or should I spill it to my wife and see what happened, to make a stab at keeping some sense of stability? I was pretty much of a mess. It was great to see from all the posts here that I was not some kind of freak of nature, as I had always assumed. Apparently the world was full of people who were gay and had married for one reason or another, and were struggling just as I was. I wasn't alone in this! Six weeks after joining EC, I came out to my wife, and the following day to my older daughter. Since then I've told my younger daughter, siblings, several cousins, many co-workers--I think my "official" tally of people I've told personally is somewhere around 30 or more, and there are others whom I haven't told personally who know as well. No official Facebook coming-out, but it's mighty obvious, and apparently my neighborhood and some of my small town are now buzzing with rumors that I'm gay--and I don't care. It's who I am and I'm happy people know. I'm still living with my wife and kids, but have plans to start the legal ball rolling soon, so that we can finally take some steps towards moving from spouses to, perhaps, friends. There are so many people here who have helped me, and whose thoughts and experiences I respect and appreciate and care about. Several have become real-life long-distance friends, and one has become so very much more (take a bow, GayDadStr8Marig, I love you!). I can't even begin to imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't stumbled upon this site a year (and a week) ago. I still have days that are rough and unhappy and full of messed-up emotions, but I can see the purpose of them now, and I know that great happiness lies ahead of me. Thanks EC, thanks to all of you, and may you all be able to look back on the past year and realize how far you've all come. Bless you all.
Hey Choirboy! We've both come such a long way, you and I, in this Year of Living Dangerously...It is truly amazing what happens when we let ourselves be, and be vulnerable. I've seen you grow so amazingly into who you are today and it is a real testament to the human spirit, to courage and to love! Well done! Your friend, GW
CB so many words come to mind yet none do you enough justice, so all I will say is, 'thank you, I wish you a life time of happiness. You're a special special man.'
Thanks for this post, Choirboy. As I told you before, it was reading your posts that convinced me to join EC again. And your post here gives me a lot of hope. Today I'm feeling a little down for no particular reason – so I'm glad to read your uplifting message.
You didn't miss your one year anniversary. You merely started a new idea: one year+1 one week anniversary! :lol: Congratulations! You really have made some good progress the last year.
Congrats Choirboy! You are a great influence on here and EC wouldn't be the same without you. Thanks for all your advice and taking the time to read my rants. Glad we became "friends" during the past year! Here's to even more progress during the next one.