You may have already seen this Huffington Post article, but I thought it was pretty succinct. All the points apply to me, so maybe you'll find it interesting too: Why You Shouldn't Fear Coming Out Later In Life
Thanks for sharing that Runner. Helps put a positive outlook on a lot of the issues faced by us later in lifers.
Funny, I just happened to read that yesterday and was thinking of folks on this EC forum. I've found the last line to be quite true, "Be yourself because pretending to be someone you're not doesn't bring you real relationships, it only brings you people having relationships with your false self." Maybe I'm afraid of real relationships and that's why I'm stuck where I'm at, hmm. On the other hand the false relationships are hollow and lonely.
Not out yet, but still a lot of the article resonated with me, such as.. "What you did is finally started living." I feel like I've got a bigger range of emotions now, like I finally have permission to feel and to trust my feelings rather than dismiss them. I've often felt like a robot, just going through the motions, keeping everyone pleased, feeling like crap or feeling numb. Or.. "Out of desperation to be accepted and embraced, it might be easy to fall into the old pattern of doing for others. Haven't you done enough of that?" I'm slowly learning not to care that much about gaining and keeping everyone's approval. My opinion is just as valid and important as anyone else's... That is still a pretty big thing for me, but it is growing so I'm happy about that.
Kate Lee, I hear you when you said "My opinion is just as valid and important as anyone else's...". I'm slowly learning too that is very important. For years I put myself down this way. Great article Runnerrunner!!
This. ^^^ Trusting myself is something that took me a long time to get comfortable with after coming out. Thanks for the article, it was a great read!
