The Friend: "When you go, I go."

Oh, David... I am going to meet him one day. Some way, some how, it is going to happen. We are meant to be together; he just doesn't know it yet.

I tried to watch clips of the Press Conference pictured above on YouTube and, well, he is just too beautiful. I couldn't pay attention. David just rambles and rambles and rambles... Most of the time I don't understand a word he's saying, but gosh, he could ramble all day and I wouldn't care.

I've watched all the clips I could find from the concert last weekend, and am super jealous of everyone who could go. Out of all the numbers I've listened to 'Gesu Bambino' was my favorite. I have yet to find a complete recording of 'Los Pastores a Belen,' but the fragments I have heard are amazing.

His range, tone and the ease with which he sings are incredible; David is a talented singer. If I were to criticize David Archuleta... and it's painful to admit he's not perfect... it would be because of his breath support. He can get really gaspy. He frequently chops up his phrases with his breathing, and it's really distracting.

AHHH! hessuchadorkandsofreakingattractive! Okay... David freak out over. I swear I have a life beyond declaring my love for nineteen year-old pop singers.

And to prove it, I will now recount the wondrous adventures I have had over the last couple of days.

Let's take a journey... 

Destination #1: Coming out to the Friend.

Dossier of the Friend:

--- Pretty much the next Beyonce.

--- Has the mouth of a sailor; it's like poetry.

We've been friends since middle school. At that time, both of us had highlights. Both of us looked awful with said highlights. I still make fun of her for it. She had a crush on me in high school, and she cried when I didn't ask her to homecoming senior year. Strangely enough, the girl I did ask (who would be my girlfriend for a year and a half) had befriended her, and they bonded over their shared liking of me, among other things. It's really weird; they've been best friends ever since.

I was so scared to come out to her. I knew she would be okay with it, but I couldn't stop shaking just the same. We were at her house on Sunday, practicing a musical number for Church next week, and while we were practicing I told her there was something I needed to talk about after we finished. If I didn't make that commitment, I probably wouldn't have come out to her that night.

In fact, I was so nervous, I slipped up a little bit. Because I wanted to talk to her in private, I wanted her to sit in my car with me. I ended up saying, “I need to come out to you” instead of “I need you to come out to my car.” Hahaha, I was so nervous!

We ended up just sitting on the bed in her room. I took a deep breath and uttered those three magic words, “I am gay.” She smiled and said, “I knew it!”

Apparently, it was clear that I was gay when I said I wasn't going on a mission anytime soon, and that I'd be taking a year off of school to “figure things out.” I told her I didn't really take a year off to come out of the closet, though that was part of it. I revealed to her that I had a problem with sleep sex. I wasn't planning on talking about that, but we did. Although it did freak her out a bit, the whole doing-it-in-my-sleep thing didn't really surprise her. She thinks my body was just reacting to my repressed sexuality. (I'm sleeping better these days, so I can't help but think there's some truth in that.) She wanted to ask me about what type of guys I'm attracted to and everything, but we didn't discuss that Sunday night.

I honestly can't remember too many specifics from our conversation. We talked about how sad it is that there are so many sexually repressed people in the Church, gay and straight. We ranted to each other about how distorted sexuality is in Mormon culture. I told her about "the moment" in which I realized I was gay (Have I ever wrote about that? This really cute guy in Drama class ambushed me with a hug. I was electrified, if you will, by his touch. I was all kinds of happy that day.) Anyways...

One moment in my coming out to her I will always remember. That moment came when she asked me, “Well... what happens now?” 

I reviewed my Plan of Attack with her, which she approved, and then I told her about how I saw my relationship with the Church. I told her I believed in the Gospel, and I told her one day I will find that man I want to spend the rest of my life with. If the Church doesn't like it, then I'll leave. That's when she looked me in the eyes and said with the utmost sincerity, “The day you leave the Church is the day that I leave too.”

I got pretty emotional then. I didn't cry, but I was just so grateful to have such a loving and loyal friend. Now, to be honest, I don't think that anyone should do something just because their friend did it. If she left the Church just because I did, that'd be pretty stupid. But I got the message loud and clear: She will stand by me no matter what.

... I can't express in words how great it is to have her as a friend. The Friend. We are truly closer now that I've come out to her. I really couldn't have asked for a better experience.

Now, I realize I was going to recount everything that happened in the last few days, but this is going to have to play out over a few posts because a LOT has happened. I've still got to analyze another discussion with the Friend, recount a semi-awkward bachelor party, and write through my mixed feelings about a dear friend's wedding. There are a lot of thoughts I've got to wade through! 

So in the mean time, keep it real everybody, and stay tuned :)