It's almost been a year now since I came out, but it seems like a lifetime.

I remember I decided to tell my friend Ed one night over spring break, because in the end, I was tired of hiding. I wanted to be able to tell people what I was going through, and the emotions I had. I decided to tell Ed because I felt most comfortable with him knowing; he is the type of person that would accept anybody. Also, we were somewhat new, but pretty close friends, so there wasn't a ton of baggage like with people who had known me and thought I was straight for many more years. We went to see a movie or something. I forget which one, I think it was pretty terrible or else I would've remembered it.

Anyway the entire night I was really tongue-tied, there was only one thing that I was thinking about, which was "How am I going to tell him?" I was concerned about him accepting it, and it's also just very hard to get it into a conversation ("Pass the salt, and btw I like men"). On the ride home he knew something was up as I wasn't my usual sarcastic self.

"Something's up"

"Yeah, i mean uhhhh"

"C'mon Dennis what's up?"

"Well.....uuuhhhhh"

(very long pause)

"I'm gay"

He was pretty surprised, needless to say.

"Really?!"

"Mmhm"

I was expecting some sort of awkward awfulness, where he would be very uneasy, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was...
"That's great!"

It was perhaps the best thing someone had ever said to me, I was so happy, I wanted to hug him. Though, that probably wouldn't have been best considering what I had just told him. His acceptance really gave me alot of confidence, if Ed accepted who I was, then why wouldn't people who I had known for alot longer do the same? Sure enough, when I told my older friends from high cchool, and my newer ones from college, I got much the same reaction. There was alot of support and alot of happiness for me. I don't think I ever got to thank all those people who accepted the new me with such open arms, but it really helped me be a much happier person today. So thanks all of you, especially Ed, if you're reading this....