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Troy Putney's avatar

Thank you for this, Jonathan. I was that guy you ran into at the bar. Not literally, obviously, but metaphorically. I remember the fear of being discovered, that I would run into someone I would know and then the whole world back home would know my secret and I would bring deep shame upon my family. I remember one day having the realization that if someone I knew was also in a gay bar that they were either also gay, or cool with it. It took a while to get there, but I did. Fear had been my operation system for decades, and it took a lot of soul searching to realize love and trust was a much better way. I don't know where that guy is now in his journey, but I hope he has found peace in knowing that good people like you are a big part of the reason we can all have some sense of safety in a dangerous world. Namaste, brother.

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Jonathan Byrd's avatar

Thank you for your story, Troy. I’m glad you found some peace in your journey to be yourself, and you share it with us.

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Dee Rambeau's avatar

Man the tours sound great. I really enjoyed Scotland and hope to go back one day 🙏

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Jonathan Byrd's avatar

The last one exceeded all my expectations. And I didn’t need to drink to enjoy it! What a beautiful life.

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Naufragous Kat's avatar

... maybe (again) — someday.

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Real Freedom, Jonathan!

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Juliana Finch's avatar

Scotland is one of my deepest loves. Those trips sound amazing!

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Jonathan Byrd's avatar

So great to see you this week! Thanks for reading.

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