Hi everyone. Yes I am alive. Think I am pulling a Smiley with disappearing off the face of the earth and then reappearing. I hope his ears are burning…yes you heard me, burning. LMAO! Have to rib him somehow. He gets me every now and then. We’ll see if he is even reading my blog anymore. Laughing uncontrollably again.

In any event, I’ve been on an emotional roller-coaster these past three weeks or so. This business venture feels unsettling at times. I don’t have all the answers I need yet to make me feel comfortable. And there is a part of me that needs a certain amount of interaction with people/friends outside of work that just isn’t happening as it did when I was in school and traveling on breaks to see people I blog with. I’m working though to make other connections, most recently through MySpace. I’ve met a number of really nice bearish, masculine men, some out-of-state but fortunately some right in my own backyard. I working on meeting two at the moment, hopefully over the next two weekends.

One of these men on MySpace is the focus of my blog post today. His name is Mark Tedesco. Mark is a year older than me I believe…48/49 years old. He appears to be engaging, articulate, genuine, and definitely bearishly masculine. But what captured my attention about him is that he seems to live with an element of faith in his life as I am struggling to balance in my life as a gay man. See, Mark went through Catholic seminary, became a priest, and left it with a year or so of being ordained.

How do know this much about Mark having only briefly exchanged a few emails? I have read his book entitled, “THE UNDENIABLE LONGING: My Road To And From The Priesthood.” I must say I found that it struck several nerves. He asked himself many of the same questions I have asked and continue to ask myself in my struggle to find peace in my life, balancing my human and spiritual needs as a gay man. If you are a spiritual person and/or open to the varied challenges gay men and women are faced with daily, it’s a remarkable book. For those of you who have been reading my blog, you know that I am very ‘closed’ when it comes to sharing any element about my faith. Perhaps that is because I tire of the attitude that many (mind you, I didn’t say all) gays have toward religion and faith. However, if you want to know ME, then read Mark’s book. I am far from being an avid reader but this book was the first book that I have ever read in a single sitting. Seriously.

I am ecstatic at the thought of meeting Mark within the next few weeks. You can bet your bottom that I will be asking him if he has found the ‘peace’ he’s been seeking or if he still sees his life evolving, both at the human and spiritual levels.

Guess this is a wrap for me. Hopefully I won’t let as much time pass between this and the next post. Should you have an opportunity to read Mark’s book, drop me an email at lifescolorfulbrushstrokes@yahoo.com. I’d love to hear your thoughts. I might just pass them along to Mark.

Have a great week!