Friday Feature 3 Just Be Yourself

(I think maybe Friday Features might need a new name, mostly because they don't fall on Fridays. I haven't thought of another name yet though. If you have an idea leave me a comment. There is a prize for the winner.)

For today's Friday Feature I want to talk about something very important - being yourself.

As in, "just be yourself and you'll be fine," or "I love you for you," and so on.

It seems lately I've been talking a lot about my Inner Gay, aka my I.G.

A lot of women love me for it, and many men respect me for it. Yes, I've heard some good natured teasing, and I've done some of my own to fellas who seemed a little uncomfortable that something like this could exist.

The best part of the whole thing is that it allowed people to see me for me, and not whoever I was trying to be, fitting in during whatever social situation happened to be occurring.

I spent a long time doing that. When I was hanging with the guys, the fellas, I'd be "one of the fellas." If I was with folks who were intellectuals, I'd be, you know intellectual (Hey, hey - You with the big monitor, stop laughing!). If I was with the jocks, I'd be, well, athletic. (I said stop laughing.) And so on...

You get the picture... I could just fit in.

Now I was never "being someone else," per se. I just wasn't necessarily "being completely me." A lie? No. Maybe an omission.

I went along like this for a long time. The only place I was really "me" was in my home.

It's not like "fitting in" made for some miserable existence. I made a great many friends. We had some incredibly fun times.

One day, I just decided it was time to stop. I am who I am. I do what I do. If you don't like me - well I'd like to say I'm sorry, but really, no apology is necessary. We don't "have to" be friends. Of course, we don't "have to" be enemies either. This goes without saying.

Differences are not bad things. In fact, I think in a lot of ways differences are what makes life interesting.

It all goes back to True Intent. Ultimately, my True Intent is to be the best me I can be.

So yeah, I like chick flicks, figure skating, gymnastics, a slew of stereotypical gay musicians, Project Runway - the list goes on and on. I even think Christian Siriano is fierce - for real. Yes, I said it. (No, I'm not attracted to him. I just think he is fascinating.)

I also love, and in fact play, hockey, and I like to try to throw my weight around on the ice. I watch NASCAR, football, baseball, and golf. I drink beer, play cards, do all the appropriate scratching and such and act very Dad-like whenever I'm given the opportunity. I like to grill. I'm intrigued by auto repair. I like to do construction type work around the house.

So there's a little bit of everything - and that is me.

As you might infer, I'm also not very guarded. For me this is the best way to be. If I live my life as an open book, I am responsible for everything I write, everything I say, and everything I do.

Now of course I could get preachy here and go on for pages about why people aren't themselves, or why they put up fronts and pretend to be something more or less than they actually are, but I'm not going to do that.

Instead I'm going to ask everyone to do something very simple, very easy.

You ready?

Go over to your mirror. Look yourself straight in the eye and say - "I like me."

If you can do that, you're being the best you, you can be.

And you should be proud.

And if you can't - ask yourself if you're really being "you."

The answer really is that simple.