First of all, I am 27 years old, and I'm of Norwegian and German heritage. I am a Taurus, having been born on Cinco de Mayo in 1972. So, yes, I am stuborn, but I'm also quite emotional--so if I don't get my way I'll cry until you give in and I get what I want. (I'm only half joking.) I grew up in northern Minnesota on the "Iron Range" and went to college in southern Minnesota at Minnesota State University, Mankato. I now live in Portland, Oregon where it's much warmer in the winter and much less humid in the summer--I live in paradise! I have an MA in Speech Communication and I teach Communication Arts as well as direct the Forensics (competitive speech and debate) program for Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. I lived in McMinnville until recently, but moved to preserve what little sanity my family provided me.
I am a sodomite. =) ok, I'm gay. I have "known" my sexual orientation since I was a small child, and understood it fairly well since junior high. I first told my mother that I planned to marry a cute boy who rode my school bus when I was in the 2nd grade, and she began trying to help me hide my "perversion" immediately. When I began an adult dialogue with her about my sexuality at age 19 she explained she wanted me to be secretive because my life was going to be very difficult if others knew. My mother eventually learned that my life was, had always been, and would always be difficult whether I chose to lie about being gay or to be honest with myself and others.
I already knew, and she came to believe, my life would be less difficult if I lived honestly. I have been "out" to everyone who matters in my life since age 19, though a select few have known since my childhood. Sadly, my mother passed away a few years ago. My greatest sorrow is that she didn't live long enough for me to meet a beautiful man and fall in love. I think she died believing life as a gay man was necessarily lonely, with a great sorrowful weight on her heart for the love and joy she thought I would never know. In many ways my life is very lonely--I'm still waiting to meet that beautiful man and to fall in love, but I have many beautiful friends who help fill my live with joy and love. I'm hopefull I will someday know the kind of love my mother wished for me, and I hope somehow she'll know when I find it.
I'm not sure what else you might want to know about me, but you can always feel free to e-mail me and ask. Once I've received some good questions I'll put together a FAQ page.
You can e-mail me by clicking here.