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Don't worry Erik, it's normal for teenagers to feel like a misfit and not know who they are. Their personalities are still developing, so in a way you could say that they haven't turned into "who they are" yet, or who they will be. People hide their real feelings a lot too because they think it's not acceptable, and sometimes they say things that they don't really feel in order to get along better with others. It's the way the world works, and it's not really a bad thing unless someone has a bad reason for putting on an act.

Not being straight is normal too. The majority of people are straight of course, and for a long long time Western society looked at not-straight as something abnormal (there have been other societies that accepted it). But anything that's common enough is normal even if it's not the majority. Homosexuality is natural and has been observed in hundreds of animal species. It's part of the way the world works too, and the Western world is finally figuring that out. But they haven't figured it out completely, and there are still some people who can't accept it yet.

I'm not trying to ignore anyone else but there's so much being said here that it would be a challenge to talk about it all! Erik sounded like he could use a little reassurance, and if anybody else wants some too just let me know and I'll send some your way. I'll see if I can come up with my own list of five things.

Yeah Erik, you don't have to worry. I still accept and respect for who you are. I don't think people have the right to tell someone who they can like or not.

Awe, don't worry Carolyn.

I actually wanted to know 5 things about you for a long while. I'm glad you might do it!

1. I got my first bird (a budgie) as a surprise Christmas gift when I was 6. I'm 60 now, and I've had birds almost continuously since then. I was birdless in college because it's hard to keep them properly in a dorm room, but that's about it.

2. I'm a CPA (certified public accountant) but it wasn't the best choice because it's mostly a bunch of paper pushing that doesn't feel meaningful to me. It took me about 50 years to figure out that I really should have been a biologist. I don't see any point in retraining at this stage, so I do amateur biology stuff like talking about breeding, genetics and nutrition on bird boards, and volunteering on conservation projects with real biologists in the real world.

3. I started out as a music major (piano) in college too but figured out that I wasn't really talented enough for that. I started playing clarinet when a community orchestra was started up nearby at almost the exact same moment that my son started playing clarinet in middle school, so I had a clarinet I could borrow. That was 20+ years ago and I'm still doing it. I have my own clarinet now (two of them actually).

4. I like learning too, especially complicated stuff that challenges you to think, analyze, and deal with masses of detail. That's one thing that my job provides. Even my hobbies involve lots of detail and complexity. Music is complex and so is running a website and playing amateur biologist. I also do craft stuff like jewelry making, cross stitch, and a few other things where it sometimes takes months to finish a project

5. I have one child. My son is an engineering professor at USC and the motherly pride is overwhelming lol.

I love it! Thank you Carolyn. Is it weird that I already knew some of these things about you? LOL I'm not a stalker. Haha

Thank you so much Carolyn. You're the best. You're the only person that has ever told me that. You are so comprehensive and reasonable and that is something I admire about you. I'm like literally crying right now. I'm sorry

It sounds to me like you're crying with happiness and that's a good thing!

Baruch, I respect you too.