Family and Friends Along the Way - Don Dickie - Bog

This is my story. About a gay guy born and raised in suburban Toronto. It is about being different and about the struggle to discover and recognize my gayness in a society that shunned and targeted gay youth and men. But it is not just about struggle and pain. It is also about the good things in life that help to create a family full of fun, love and companionship.

Throughout my almost seventy years of life, I have worn many different faces: corporate executive, husband, father, brother, martial artist, Buddhist, artist and poet. I met an extraordinary lesbian and together we formed a family with a young son more than 30 years ago, long before gay families made the headlines. I found the love of life and have celebrated more than 25 years of married life together. And I experienced the losses and grief that everyone experiences as loved ones pass and illness raises its head.

My story is my own and it is different. And it holds much of what is the same for everyone else.