Discordant Echoes From My Past

[ouijabear]

Face book has brought me back into contact with numerous people (friends, family, and acquaintances) from the many and varied marker events in my life. It’s through the interaction with these contacts that I begin to see just how much I have progressed in my 47 (gasp) years. I tend to think of people in relation to certain events and the

Comments

[ranger7ryan]

I didn't realize this was your background. I come from a similar background (Evangelical) and have had to deal with the same thing on Facebook over the last year or so. First it was just high school classmates, then high school church friends, middle aged women from my church that are friends with my Mom, guys I went on a Campus Crusade for Christ mission trip with in college. I'm sure there will be more.

Every time I get a new friend request from my past I am faced with the decision about coming out to these people only because I'm open about my life on Facebook. For me, most of these people are not really part of my life anymore, so if they have a problem with it, it doesn't really bother me. No one has said anything, and surprisingly I don't think anyone has defriended me. If anyone did approach me I would just say that a lot has happened in the last 5-10 years, and you haven't really been a part of my life, so you really don't have the right to tell me how to live it. It doesn't mean that the earlier part of your life was a lie or didn't mean anything.

You might be the first gay person they know, and even if they don't agree with "your lifestyle", it could dispel all kinds of stereotypes they have about gay people. You may discover that some of the youth you knew are struggling with their own orientation. I have two people that I went to high school with and went to the same church (keep in mind I came from a very small town) that are now gay and have approached me about how I have reconciled my faith with my sexuality.

[ouijabear]

It does sound like he have very similar backgrounds - mission trips and all. Small world huh? I mean honestly - what do I have to be afraid of. I was caught off guard with my reaction and felt the need to sit with it, try and practice some mindfulness. Thank you for your reply.