justjeff

Jeff Sunday, 67. I'M STILL HERE IT HAS BEEN YEARS SINCE I UPDATED MY PROFILE, SO HERE IT IS. THE TITLE, I AM STILL HERE IS A SONG BY ELTON JOHN. IT IS VERY TRUE TO MY LIFE. I GREW UP IN A SMALL TOWN IN MICHIGAN. AT AGE 10, I NEW I WAS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER GUYS. I NEW I WAS GAY. LIKE MILLIONS OF GAY GUYS IN THE 60-70s I HAD TO HIDE WHO I REALLY WAS. I HAD A VERY UNHAPPY CHILDHOOD. I DID NOT FIT THE MOLD THE WORLD EXPECTED ME TO BE. LIVING A LIE WILL DESTROY YOU. LIKE MANY I TRIED SUICIDE BUT FAILED. I LIVED A LIE TO BE SAFE FROM HARM. IN HIGH SCHOOL I NEVER DATED A GIRL, NEVER WENT TO PROM, OR ANY DANCE UNLESS IT WAS DONE BY MY COMPANY. I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND WHY SOMEONE DID NOT FIGURE ME OUT. I WAS POPULAR, I WAS EDITOR - IN - CHIEF OF THE SCHOOL NEWSPAPER. I WAS ALSO SENIOR CLASS PRESIDENT. BUT I ALWAYS FELT I WAS ON THE OUT SIDE LOOKING IN. I FELL IN LOVE WITH A GUY IN MY CLASS, I WANTED TO TELL HIM SO BAD, BUT NEVER DID, HE IS MARRIED, AND HAS KIDS, I WILL TAKE HIS NAME TO THE GRAVE. I MARRIED A WOMEN AND WE HAD TWO CHILDREN. WE DIVORCED AFTER A WHILE AND I RAISED MY KIDS MYSELF. IT WAS NOT EASY BUT WE ALL MADE IT. I WOULD GIVE MY LIFE FOR MY CHILDREN, THEY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ACCOMPLISHMENT IN MY LIFE. THEY BOTH SUPPORT ME AS A GAY MAN AND I LOVE THEM FOR IT. OUR HOME WAS A SAFE PLACE FOR ALL THERE FRIENDS. I WAS AND STILL AM CALLED DAD BY MANY OF THEM TO THIS DAY. I WAS AN ADULT WHO WOULD LISTEN TO THERE PROBLEMS. I NEVER JUDGED AND GAVE ADVICE TO BETTER THERE LIVES. I LOVE HUMOR AND LOVE TO LAUGH, IT KEEPS YOU YOUNG AND HEALTHY. I AM A LOVING AND CARING PERSON, BUT AS ALL OF US I HAVE MANY FLAWS. I NEVER MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE, BUT I DO MAKE THEM. I LEARN FROM THEM TO MAKE ME A BETTER PERSON. I HAVE A GREAT PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF DISCRIMINATION, HATE, BIGOTRY, AND EXCLUSION. I HAVE BEEN IN MANY RELATIONSHIPS OVER THE YEARS, AND HAVE DATED OVER 1000 MEN. I HAVE SEEN IT ALL. I HAVE BEEN LIED TO, CHEATED ON, AND TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BECAUSE I HAD GREAT JOBS AND HAD MONEY. I STARTED OUT VERY NAIVE, BUT HAVE BECOME AN EXPERT TO SEE A LOSER, USER, AND ABUSERS A MILE AWAY. TRUST IS A BIG ISSUES IN ANY FRIENDSHIP OR RELATIONSHIP WITH ME. PEOPLE WHO HAVE HURT ME ARE ALWAYS FORGIVEN IN TIME. I LIVE BY THE TEACHINGS OF HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA AND THE BUDDHIST FAITH. COMPASSION, UNDERSTANDING, HAPPINESS, A RESPECT FOR MYSELF, RESPECT OF OTHERS, AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL MY ACTIONS. I AM GENTLE WITH THE EARTH. I BELIEVE IN REINCARNATION AND RETURN TO EARTH WITH NEW LIFE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. NEVER HURT A LIVING BEING. I HAVE VISITED EVERY STATE IN THE USA. MOST VISITED IS CALIFORNIA 10 TIMES SO FAR. I LOVE IT THERE, THE PEOPLE ARE GREAT. A. I LOVE TO TRAVEL. AFTER ALL THE TRAVEL AND MOVING, I HAVE MOVED BACK HOME TO MICHIGAN. I NOW LIVE IN SAINT JOSEPH MI. I ALSO WAS A RETAIL GENERAL MANAGER/REGIONAL MANAGER. I HAD TO STOP WORKING RETAIL IN 2006 AFTER OVER 38 YEARS IN RETAIL MANAGEMENT DUE TO AN LIFETIME ILLNESS. THERE. BTW - I AM A ACTIVIST, AND USE THE POWER OF MY VOICE AND MY VOTE.. 6 YEARS AGO A GUY NAMED JOSHUA MESSAGED ME ON FACEBOOK ASKING ME TO GO OUT ON A DATE. I LOOKED AT HIS PROFILE AND FOUND I WAS MUCH OLDER THAN HE. I ASKED HIM IF HE NEW HOW OLD I WAS, AND HE SAID YES. WE WENT OUT AND WE ARE STILL TOGETHER. JOSHUA IS A GREAT GUY. HE LOVES ME AND I LOVE HIM. RELATIONSHIPS ARE HARD, BUT WE MOVE FORWARD EVERYDAY. MY HEALTH HAS BEEN POOR FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS. JOSHUA HAS TAKEN CARE OF ME. HE IS MY STAR. UPDATE: JOSHUA AND I WERE MARRIED ON AUGUST,16, 2014. THIS DAY IS THE SAME DAY WE MET FOR THE FIRST TIME ON AUGUST 16, 2009. 5 YEARS TO THE DAY. UPDATED SEPTEMBER, 25, 2015 STAY TUNED TO THE REST OF MY LIFE........