Now that I got that out of the way... On to my introduction! As I started this blog, I was thinking what would be a logical first topic to write about. I came to the conclusion that an introduction would be important, given that the entire purpose of a blog (from the reader's perspective) is to read and respond to someones life.
So, here it goes...
I was born on December 17th, 1991 - that makes me twenty years old as I'm typing this. I was born to what were, at the time, loving parents - and in many ways, still are... But, oh how things can change. I'm from a small college town called Antigonish in Nova Scotia, Canada. It's a nice enough place - a hamlet of farmers, fisherman and college students.
Although, I didn't actual live in the town, (I was a county kid) most of my friends did - except for one. This one would become my closest friend over the next two decades, and today we're still friends - and lovers. Her name is Bonnie, and not surprisingly, she is a large part of my life and will often be a topic of conversation.
I still remember the day we first told each other how we felt... (Yes, it's memory lane time!)
I guess it really started when I was about 9, my parents had just divorced and it was a very stressful time in my young life. My father had moved far away afterwards and I never got to see him for a long time... So long in fact that it wasn't until 2007 until he came back and I was finally able to build a relationship with him.
This is where things went from bad to worse...
Only a few weeks after I had started seeing my father again did I learn that he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Melanoma. (Skin cancer.) He seemed fine over the next month, until things took a turn for the absolute worst... He was comatose for three days, before the cancer had killed him after metastasizing to his brain.
My world was beginning to fall apart at that point, I was struggling with depression - I had gained nearly thirty pounds and I was becoming alienated from my friends and family. He passed away on March 30th, 2007.
After two weeks of struggling with everything, Bonnie called me out of the blue and asked if we could meet at the harbor. She was referring to a place called "Sky Harbor," it was a little abandoned wharf where we would spend most of the summers partying and swimming and such.
We must have sat there for hours before she told me how fragile life is and how quickly you can lose the people you love. She kissed me and told me how she felt. (Ah, to be young and in love.) I told her I felt the same way and we just sat there until long after the sun had crept below the horizon.
And that was it - that was five years ago, and we're still together to this day. We've been through a lot together, including being in a long-distance relationship as we're currently going to different schools. I'm a pre-med student attending McGill University in Montreal and she attends Acadia University in Wolfville, which is a few hours away from our hometown.
It's been really hard, this year apart. But, I feel like every time I get to see her again that we grow closer. It's hard to explain if you haven't been in the situation we're in, but, it makes you appreciate what you have. It focuses your perspective and your priorities.
Anyway, I think that's enough for tonight. I am confident that this introduction is about as much as you'd need to know about me, my past and the man I am today.
Good night, and good luck.
