A Wish To Be Normal
Gay Or Straight? A Reverse Tale About Equality And What It Is To Be Normal.
This carnival is such a magical place. Everything is so bright and new. But I swear I have been here before. The lights, the rides, the people and their faces … Wait, who is that in the distance? Despite being very shy and very nervous, I was compelled to go and talk to them.
I got up the courage and made my approach. As I inched closer to this person, they seemed to get further and further away. The strange thing is the distance between us never changed. I tried to get a better look, but the hazy glow around them did not allow me to focus.
Out of nowhere, fireworks started to light up the purple night sky. And then everything went black. I opened my eyes to the sound of my alarm clock going off. “Jessie! Get out of bed! You have school today … again!” yelled my father from downstairs.
As I walked to school, my mind was splitting into two directions. I wish I had the focus to see that face in my dreams. I also wish I had the strength to talk to my parents. Something has been weighing on me for a very long time.
The school day dragged on as it always does. The dull repetition of classes and social interactions did not take my mind off of things. I look around and see boyfriends and girlfriends talking and flirting with each other. They seem so happy and normal. I guess that’s the way the world is supposed to be. I wish I could be normal.
Dinner with my parents was agonizing. The usual dinner conversation was about to take a dramatic turn. I couldn’t take it anymore. There was no more hiding from the truth. I had to tell my parents. If I focus on one of them, then maybe it will make things easier.
“Dad, there’s something that I have wanted to tell you for a very long time. I haven’t told you because I’ve been worried about what you would think or say. Even now, I am scared to tell you.”
“I am more worried about why it’s taking you so long to tell us,” my father replied. “Is everything okay? Are you in trouble? What’s going on?”
It’s funny how hard it is to say just two words. I put my head down and just blurted it out. “I’m straight.”
When I finally looked back up, my parents had a blank look on their faces. “Well, aren’t you going to say anything?” My other father chimed in, “Your Dad and I already knew Jessie. We have loved you since the day you were born. This doesn’t change that.”
“But I look at you guys and most of the world and I just thought I wasn’t normal. I want to be the same but that’s just not me. I’m different.”
“Jessie, we are all the same because we are all human. And all humans are different in one way or another,” my father softly said. “So I think it’s safe to say that we are all pretty normal,” said my other father with a smile.
That night, I was able to visit the magical carnival again. I had high hopes of finding that person who was a dream within a dream. I scoured the grounds with no luck. Just as I turned to walk away, a gentle hand grabbed my shoulder. I turned around to another magical sight. She had the most beautiful face in the world.
