All those things that were so important to me don't seem that important anymore. The same techniques don't apply. People look different to me, and that is a bit deflating. I started out this column with a simple question, intending to amuse and incite with a shallow and simple answer. For me, the answer is this.
Life is part bliss and part blisters.
It is those blisters that, even though they hurt like your holiday credit card bill, add character, strength, and stamina to your life. The important thing is that we are what we would like ourselves to be. Being gay has taught me the same lesson. I live in a community where there is great love and great hate. Both will affect me and contribute to the person I am becoming.