An Unlikely Response

A response to my original thesis paper for Camille’s class, which I posted to facebook, it started a big dialogue with friend an collegeue alike about the community. The world wide web is truly that and a friend who helped raise me when I was four volunteering in the Muncie, Indiana Children’s Museum posted this response:

I get kind of an interesting perspective on this too as I tend to fall between the standard generations mentioned here I think. In general I tend to live a middle of the line life. While I am basically out as being Bi to most people and have been since late in high school, I am still "closeted" to most of my family. This situation definitely has presented challenges. I am at least fortunate that my husband (who I have been with since HS) is very understanding and willing to allow me the freedom to pursue both sides of my desires. In the same vein though I do NOT do casual flings and never have. I have lived at home till nearly the time of my marriage at 28 years of age and having parents considerably older than me I was definitely given few freedoms in many ways and I was never the party type. The closest to a dating site that I ever did was; what was more common when I was in college, a chat room. That only ever brought about a single slightly awkward meetup at a campus coffee house. Mostly any other girls I have had any involvement with have either been instances of a chance finding of each other in our normal lives or as a friend of a friend introduction. It is actually kind of funny that now with social media (which was not big till after my college days) I am learning that if society had been more open in my youth that perhaps I might have had a better chance as some former classmates have come out to at least some extent and indicated that back then there might have been an interest.

So while I am young enough to have a very string grasp of technology I am also old enough that the social aspects used today were not in place in my prime "dating years". I will at least say that my son will be able to benefit fortunately from a parent that is very open about things yet still strict where I need to be. He will grow up knowing no matter what his sexual identity or those of his friends I will understand. I will be happy if I can be a mature and understanding ear and voice where one is needed for any coming after me.

I was shocked by her braveness to post this so publically but was also reminded of how you really do not know a person and their personal struggle with acceptance of themselves or into society. This year has been such an unbelievable experience that will shape the way I live my life and I had Julie Woodward to thank for such an amazing growing process.