I came to terms when I was 21 and found myself irrefutably in love with my best friend.
I was fortunate in that within a degree of my immediate friends there was a well established Elder Dyke. I approached her and well she took me under her wings. I would go to her house after work and we'd drink a couple of black & tans while she told me all about our history, how to treat a woman... how to survive in the jungle.
I am a huge believer in learning our history. Of listening to what the previous generation had to say - in person if possible. Reading a book is one thing - hearing the scars, seeing the passion, holding the calloused hands or hearing the well worn leather as it breathes... something you can't get from books.
So yeah - coming out was traumatic and trying, and truth be told I am still going along my journey and discovering about myself. But I had the privileged to be surrounded by an older generation who was as hungry to share their experiences as I was to learn.
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