Happy National Coming Out Day!

It's October 11, my friends.  That means that once again it is National Coming Out Day!  For those who aren't familiar with the day, look here for a brief explanation about it.  I didn't know that this day has been going on for 25 years now.  I only found out about it after I came out.  It's hard to imagine that the day was born back when I was a teenager.  That seems like another lifetime.

In many ways, I do view my pre-coming-out days as a different life.  A life that was marked by worry, shame, deception (of both myself and others), and general unpleasantness.  Accepting who I was as a gay man meant I was able to explore who I am, get to know myself, and find greater freedom in all my colorful glory.  I even have relatives who comment that it's as if I'm a different person.  Some of them like the new person I've become.  Others wish that the "old me" would return, stuffing the best parts of me back into a dusty, confining closet.  Alas, those relatives will remain disappointed.

So to all my gay friends, Happy NCOD!  To all my not-gay-but-supportive friends, thank you for accepting and cherishing me for who I am.  And to everyone, I say be true to yourself, lest you lose sight of both the truth and yourself altogether.

Note:  The image for this post was taken from this page, which is well worth reading.