HIS69-426 Beware of Greeks and others

PREFACE

Some said I was the handsomest boy in my high school class. If it was true, I was also the most miserable. You see, I was in love! What can be so terrible in that, you ask? You have to understand that I grew up in that bleak period in history when it was best to stay hidden in the dark confines of ones closet. Yet I was in love with Don. He was, I thought, as handsome as a god. He had black wavy hair, broad shoulders, a well muscled chest and arms, and the narrowest waist you’ve ever seen. He was my best friend, but… I never told him I loved him. I suffered in silence, longing to be loved, but terrified I might be discovered, disgraced or even jailed. You’re right, I was naive, because I foolishly believed I was alone in my black little world.

Fearing rejection, I put on what I hoped was a facade of “normal behavior.” I must confess girls adored me. I dated them… yet all the time I ached for Don. Today, I wonder if he felt the same. As strong and handsome as he was, perhaps he was just as big a coward as I.

I continued the pretense until four years ago. I even married and have a wife I love who knows about me. Still, it isn’t always enough. So, a short time ago, I dusted off my crown and stole out of my closet into the world of my dreams. I found it good. It helped to relieve some of the frustration that filled my life. Yet, even now, I look back on those misty days of youth and wonder what might have been. That’s why you’ll find a few tears in my stories-tears of joy, tears of sorrow, and bitter tears shed for a youth lost in that dark age when being Gay was forbidden.