The Long Version
I'm just your average guy. (I hate the spelling of "boy" as "boi." It's almost derogatory. Please world, refrain from using it.) I grew up the first 18 years in Lakeland, FL with my mom and sister. I moved to Tampa in 2001 and now live with three of the funniest guys I know. I came here to be closer to USF but soon found that I had to work full time to support the lifestyle I wanted. So now, I wake up every morning, sometimes with a lunch prepared, drive to work, sit at a desk for nine hours taking claims from people who don't know how to drive. On my drive to and from work I turn into America's Next Idol singing to the same mixed CD my friends get tired of hearing.  Hopefully I come home with plans to hang out with "the special person in my life" and go to sleep. Only to lather, rinse.. and repeat the next day.

You want to know some physical attributes about me?  One.. I finally got LASIK so I'm out of contacts. My brown eyes aren't that great.  My hair is brown. (What hair I have, that is.)  I've been taking Propecia to "stop the natural process of male pattern baldness" and it's been working to a point. That's all irrelevant because I hide under my hat everywhere I go. I paid 90 bucks a month for two and a half years to have straight teeth. I'm 6 feet tall but I tell people I'm 5ft, 11in.

I have one YOUNGER sister. She beat me in the fields of marriage and starting a family. I grew up with my mother and stepfather until I was in high school. There was an affair and fights that lead to my mother's second divorce. Now she entertains me with stories about her "barely English speaking, illegal, wants to get drunk all the time" Mexican boyfriend. In Tampa, I have made some really good friends.

Tattoos and Piercings
Yes, I'm part of that sub-culture. I have 5 piercings. My eyebrow, both my lobes, and a few strange spots on my left ear have holes in them. I did have my right nipple pierced but I had to take it out because everyone was intent on squeezing it as a loving gesture. It only made it puss up, people.  So that sucker had to come out. And because it's "exessive," I cannot wear my eyebrow ring to work. I'm scared it will close up. When it comes to tattoos.. I only have seven? I have three stars down my left arm and a planet on my right rib cage. I tease that I'm going to have a cosmic theme. I want to add a sun and a moon somewhere. :-) 

Spare Time
I like to drink. No, I LOVE to drink. When I have spare time I like to go out and play darts at bars. I go to Chambers, Flirt and straight clubs like Orpheum and Castle.  The way I release stress is by dancing. I have no shame and don't care what anyone thinks. I get on the floor and do my thing. When I was little, I would dance in front of a mirror to cheer myself up. (That's something not a whole lot of people know about me.)

You know how you visit people's web pages and they always want to offer advice? Well this next section is something like that. I am not great at giving advice, only listening.

Life Lessons I Learned
I follow the fate theory. I believe I was supposed to meet people for a reason to learn something about myself. Being gay, you learn these lessons ten-fold. (Is that a fair statement?) Here goes:

My very first relationship taught me:
1.  never regret.
2.  never apologize for the way you feel.
3.  never settle for less.
4.  never sacrifice your happiness to make someone else feel better.

I really had to practice with that last one. see, I'm more of a romantic guy. I am very much in touch with my emotions. All my friends will tell you that my greatest weakness is that I "wear my heart on my sleeve." My second relationship made me feel as though I was "high maintenance." Blah! I just want to feel special, you know? I want to be the world to someone; for them to dream of me, someone to write me a poem or letter "just because." I want a guy who'll grab my hand and ask me to dance. I want a guy to kiss me gently on the forehead and whisper sweet nothings in my ear. I want someone that would lie to me every day of my life, telling me that I'm handsome and the only guy for him. Someone that would leave me notes to find. I see a relationship as a job. Being single for almost a year, I'm beginning to see just how tough one can be.

My second relationship taught me:
1.  the world doesn’t revolve around me.
2.  the awful lesson of rejection [he was the first to break my heart]
3.  trust my instincts
4.  that everyone has a past, a history, that you can’t compete with.

I'm good with proving my point with analogies. It's kinda like... you are in love with this guy and he gives you a key that opens the old, stubborn door to his apartment. He's given a-plenty of guys a key and they already know how to hold the handle just right and jiggle the key while giving it the successful jolt. Figuratively, when I got the key it took me a couple of tries before I knew how to get in the door quickly.

There's just some things you cannot compete with in another person's life. These would be past lovers, a 24 hour job, personal issues other people have with their own sexuality. All that, on top of me being a tad bit jealous, lead to the downfall of my second relationship.

I used to believe in love. I know it's out there. I had it by the shoestrings once, but he just kicked my hand and escaped my grip. Deep down, I still believe in love. I'm not one to take chances, you know? if I think I have it, I'll hold on to it.

My last relationship taught me to put my needs first. I was in a relationship with someone that wasn't comfortable with who they were. I came second to friends.. family.. and when I realized STRANGERS were on the list, I had to do the breaking up. The most powerful statement I have made to date was, "I deserve better." It was hard to say but he understood where I was coming from.

My Personality
This section will prove to be the hardest part. I'm afraid to say stuff, because I don't want to be one of those people that make themselves out to be like a sane, diamond ring when they're really a shallow, soul-less cubic zirconium. You know? So I'll just try to be honest, yet humble. First, I'm a weak person. I let my emotions get the best of me.  My friends say I shouldn't do that; that I shouldn't let people walk on me like that. I'm working on that. I'm also weak in the area of expressing my emotions. Like, when I'm unhappy, I keep those feelings in. That's... unhealthy. But I'm really good about letting people know when I am happy.

I like doing things for others. I like holding doors, getting you this time, simple things? I'm not the richest person, I'm a college student ::winks:: for God's sake, but I do try to do things for others. I like burning CDs for people, and hanging out with friends when they are down. Work seems to come first in my life, so I can only donate so much time.

I like to act a little immature. I like to collect pictures of Sugar Ray and hang them on my wall. I like to make prank phone calls to my friends then act as if nothing happened. Hell, once I ran out in the middle of the street in my whitie tighties just to make my friend laugh. [He was driving down my street... I was so embarrassed when I found out there was some guy walking down the street that I didn't see.] The craziest thing I ever did? I was naked in a downtown fountain at 1 A.M.

I'm a clean, legal person. I like to dance and swim. I think I'm gonna become one of those tarot card readers at Clearwater Beach. What else? I like the feeling I get when I speak in Spanish to a person that speaks it waaaay better than I do. I like feeling important, but not having too much responsibility. I like being the big brother to people older than myself. For instance, being the "designated driver" makes me feel pretty good. I'm the kind of person that's easily swayed to your way of thinking. Buying spark plugs would be my example here. I'll go on the word of a stranger, if I'm unfamiliar with certain things.

I'm not innocent, mind you. I live... "vicariously" thru my whorish friends. [I will omit their names] I've been described as "innocent" and "straight-edge" and "cute" so much that I cringe when I see a person's lips even start to form the words. I'd rather sacrifice my own happiness then live dangerously. This scares me, because I know it's building up inside of me, ready to burst at any second. I'm horn-eee 22/7. [those other 2 hours I'm prolly getting my much-needed beauty sleep.] ::laughs:: One thing about me that gets me dumped: I won't go "all the way" with someone until I know there's mutual L-O-V-E between us.

Generally, I don't like to get dirty. but there are times in my life that I must.. "man sweat." That's like changing a part on my car or mowing the grass for my mom. What else? Oh- I can be in a room, by myself, with only a spoon, and wouldn't be bored. I make myself laugh, I am sensitive, and I'm just "two scoops of too much for you!" I really wish my life was video taped. I could send in a random hour of any random day to America's Funniest Home Videos, and I promise I'd win at least 2nd place. ::nods:: Sometimes, and this sounds strange and full of pride and like I have a big ego [when I don't] but sometimes, I think that if there was two of me the world would come to an end. 

One last thing. you know how some people have one, special supernatural ability? Well I have 2. Guess what mine are? No, I can't fly. I can't see thru walls. But I can tell, by some sixth sense, when something is a bad idea or something is going to go wrong. I must have a very good.. "inner guide." For example, say I make plans with someone. I can tell about 2 days before the event that it won't take place. Or that there will be new conditions on the event, like someone one being added. It's just weird. I can't explain it. But I think it's pretty sad, too. And the second? I can tell when someone is lying to me over the phone... and pretty much in person. Two years of collection experience, baby.

Things that fascinate me?
My cell phone. I don't go anywhere without it. I've only left the house without it maybe twice in my whole entire life. It's a security blanket.  Another thing would be the Tarot.  Yes, tarot cards. I'm becoming an a pretty good reader. If anyone out there wants a tarot card reading hit me up. I'll try my best!

Accomplishments
What am I most proud of? I think it would be the average "gay boy coming from a single parent home" accomplishment. I'm really proud that I helped to [financially] support my mom while she was going thru her divorce. I'm proud that I didn't let my personal life affect my academics. I'm proud that I did well enough in high school to get a free ride my first 2 years at USF. I'm proud of my trailer-trash family, my heritage, and the person I've become. I'm proud that I don't do drugs, smoke, steal cars, whore-out on Nebraska; I'm proud to be inexperienced and unique. I'm proud of my immaturity, my naive-ness, and the fact that I'm a "trooper."

Thanks!
Did you read all that?  :-)   Kudos to you. I am sorry if it's a little wordy. I'll try to add some more graphics with my next update. In my English courses, I'd always suck at making a conclusion.  This was just a little glimpse into my life. If you wanna know more you gotta reach out and touch a brother. Peace out, nucca!