A Straight Man Remembers the Last Man He Loved: Michael P.
A Geriatric Journal Story
Realizing you are straight does not preclude loving men, and I have been in love with three men in my life. I’d like to share the stories with you — although what I really want to do is remember and reconstruct them and recognize what I learned from them.
I believe a complete, overwhelming lifetime of love can be shared by two men. In my case, I have shared mine with a woman; but I don’t believe anyone ever gets to choose.
For too short a time in my distant youth (I am 84), I had three male friends, each of whom I know I loved and they loved me. My readers are familiar with the first two: Frank C., who “opened up the gates of light” by introducing me to the beauty of art, music, and dance — while I was still in high school. Carl W., who took me under his wing after my time in the U.S. Army, “civilized me,” and helped me — a budding writer — understand the complex nature of love.
The third, was Michael P., a classmate during my undergraduate years at the University of Puerto Rico. Mike didn’t go to class very often. Most of the time he appeared on campus to (easily) entice me to cut class and hike in the rainforest, or explore a cave, birdwatch on the salt flats, or drink rum. He was more fun than my classes.
