I can't believe it's been a decade since I last updated this blog. Heck, I can't believe it's been almost seventeen years since I joined Gay Authors. Indeed, I see there's a shiny gold "20 years" under the logo now, and it's both gratifying that I was there nearish the beginning and also a bit sad that I've missed most of those years.

I've a lot to thank Gay Authors for. It was insanely formative for me as a young person figuring out my sexuality and taking those early first steps out of the closet. The story of one's life is never over until it's over of course, but with quite a few years behind me since my earliest blog entries, it is fun to reflect on how things turned out -- at least for now.

I originally took a big step back from Gay Authors in 2010 after entering a serious relationship so that I could prioritize spending time with my new paramour. That worked out. We've been together ever since. Last month marked twelve years for our relationship as a whole and we finally decided to marry in 2019.

I'm delighted and amused to see that several of my old entries pseudonymously reference a circle of close friends that's still intact -- though we now live spread out all over (and outside of) the country. We still get together a couple of times a year for holidays though when everyone "comes home" and we text regularly throughout the day in a group thread.

My earliest posts mention my cat Lucky and her brother Timmy. Seventeen years on Lucky is still my beloved sweet girl and now a two-time cancer survivor who's undergone several major surgeries. She'll be eighteen this summer and is still thriving and living her best life. Alas, Timmy died so long ago that I wonder, but don't recall, if one of my past entries mentions his passing, but yeah it's been over a decade.

In my very first entry I said:

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I've now decided I want to pursue a career in writing instead.

That happened. And ended. For about eight years I worked for a marketing firm writing articles on a wide range of topics and doing technical product writing. I loved it and I'm beyond grateful for that time in my life. Besides just being a generally nice period and pleasant lifestyle, it certainly helped me hone the craft. But three years ago the company closed and I transitioned into something else. Off and on throughout that time, and currently "on," I maintained fiction writing as a hobby. I'd say my next big goal on that front is to work on something I actually want to publish, but it'll be at least a few years before I actively pursue that. In the meantime my focus is finishing up some WIPs I don't intend to publish.

As the title of this entry proclaims, this focus of this particular post is more of a "here's what happened" with things discussed in past entries. Perhaps I'll focus more on new developments in future entries.

That said, I don't have a firm plan either way for my return to Gay Authors. I was thinking it might be nice to sort of ease back in though -- post a few blogs, keep an eye out for some discussion topics in The Lounge that make me want to weigh in, maybe check out a story or two and comment, and perhaps eventually make an anthology submission or post or short story.

...or maybe I won't be back until 2032. I guess we'll see. 😛

Anyway, much love, Gay Authors. Whether I'm back in five minutes, five years, or never at all, you'll always hold a special place in my heart. ❤️

(How do I post this thing? What do you mean I need a category?! Oh hell, "Updates" I guess.)