Coming Out Day

Ahem. *cough cough* Is this thing on? Yes? Can you hear me in the back? No? How about now? Yeah? Okay, great. Ah, well, today is National Coming Out Day, so, uh, my name is Boltgirl, and I'm, uh, well, I'm gay. Really.

I've related my own coming-out experiences more than once on this blog, so that dog's already been properly patted and brushed and then some. The world didn't end back then in 2000, at the end of the six-month process it took to (1) figure it all out and (2) inform the relevant parties, and despite some rough patches along the way (hi, Dad!) my life has settled back into the banality of daily existence. Get up, get dressed, make breakfast for the kid, drop kid off at school, go to work, look at artifacts and think deep thoughts, pick up kid from school, buy groceries, help kid with homework, make dinner, pay bills, toss baseball, watch The Office, rearrange library, put kid to bed, read book, go to bed.

I'm very lucky. My family loves and accepts me and, with only one exception (hi, Granddad and Grandmother! Still falling asleep to The O'Reilly Factor?), accepts my partner. My boss and co-workers don't give a rat's ass about anyone's orientation. My neighbors are friendly and don't seem inclined to burn a rainbow flag in our yard. My son's friends don't care that his mom's a big ol' dyke. I've never been harassed by a stranger. A lot of people aren't nearly as lucky. Here's wishing you a lovely coming out day if today's when you decide to take the plunge.