Re: A long boring reply….
I knew you weren’t bashing Christianity. I’m sorry if you got the impression that I thought you were. I know you well enough to know you don’t do that. *snug*
But, I have a serious hang up with the Lutheran church. I was reminded every day that I was at that fruggen school that I was going to hell because I was not Lutheran. It sucked. I was the outcast among the students, and the teachers hated me. I thought Christians were suppose to show they were Christian by their love, but all that school taught was hate. A lot of Christians are like that…but not all of us. Christ taught me how to love, not hate. *smile*
Thanks for the info about the Celtic music. I am always looking for good folk music, and jazz is cool as well.

Re: Well….
Hee. I’d be in that category of experimentation…. except a little more than that.
In hindsight… I had a LOT of same sex encounters growing up. All friends of mine. Two guys in particular. One, when I was about 13, and he was the same, entailed plenty of frottage. And later, about 16… well…. let’s just say that I didn’t realize I was gay until about 5 YEARS after my cherry was gone.
In hindsight… I wish I had waited, because I can’t stand the person who I played with then. We were just buddies then and things became strained then broken a long time ago. I may always remember my first, but I won’t like the guy.
PS> You know… being really involved IN the church might hinder the experimentation thing. Or it might not. I was a Boyscout.

Re: Well….
Guess it’s kinda cheating for me to say, but I knew all that. 😉
That actually makes me glad. That means we communicated enough when we were together 🙂
Well… except that part about being a Choir boy…. Hmmm…. I could say a LOT about that and your being gay, but I won’t.
Nah, I don’t think there was much of a correlation. Besides, it wasn’t so much a choir as a guy with a guitar and four or five entirely-too-earnest folk singers. Trust me, it was dreadful.
And just for the record, no, I never had any close encounters with any priests.
As a side note, I would like to note that a lot of times you hear about how guys engaged in same-sex experimentation as they were growing up, and how they “fooled around” with their buddies. All I want to say is: where the hell were these people when I was growing up, dammit?

Re: A long boring reply….
2-I went through the 80’s about the same time you did (I’m 33, and I graduated in 1986…I’m guessing that you graduated in 1985?).
Nope, 1986 as well. Children of the ’80’s, we are!
3-I love Celtic music! I especially love Clanned, Loreena McKennitt, and Dervish.
Clannad is a bit too mellow for me, but there are times when Loreena McKennitt suits my mood perfectly. I saw Dervish live at the Celtic Fest in Milwaukee a few years ago and they were fabulous! My favorites have always been those who blend Celtic with other genres: the folk-rock of Fairport Convention, Spirit of the West, and Seven Nations, the Celtic jazz of Rare Air, and the trippy weirdness of Ashley MacIsaac. Mmm, good stuff.
4-I went to a parochial grade school as well (I went to a scary Lutheran school…I still have nightmares!)
I only went to Catholic school for one year – the sixth grade. I did not fit in 🙂
Scary, even for a Christian like me. Hey…do you remember Stryper? *giggles hysterically*
Just to be perfectly clear, I wasn’t trying to bash Christianity or Catholicism – it didn’t work for me but for it works for millions of others, and I wish them all well. And for Stryper…oh dear. I might even still have a cassette or two of their stuff if I dig around enough.