“What if, Wasted, I’m still not so different from that kid who was chasing after someone, anyone, who would validate his place in the world and make him feel less alone? What if I’m still navigating taboos and social expectations and making missteps along the way? I think I prefer that way of looking at it, because I find myself wanting to “keep” the time I spent with Rebecca. I don’t want to see our relationship as a failed experiment or a sad attempt at hiding who I really was. I want to include that time, the good and the bad, in the project of my life. I want to be happy when I think of the times Rebecca made me happy. Perhaps, Wasted, that’s my way of making peace.”
―
John Paul Brammer,
¡Hola Papi!: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons
