Hi Y'all,
So here I am, starting yet another blog. I just couldn't bear to keep using the old one - too many posts about not having posted in a while. I'm gonna keep this one updated more though. I've got a three hour break on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so my plan is to blog once a week on one of those days. Hold me to it. If you don't hear from me in a while, just send me a little note that says, "Hey Josh, I noticed you haven't been blogging lately, and it's really rude, quite frankly, to just leave me hanging." If this fails to make me write a post, assume that I am wrapped up in finals, working extensive hours, or that I have given up on life because it is pointless, disappointing, and painful. If the later is the case, you will find me at the kitchen table in the middle of plan What's the Point?, in which I eat until I die. Either way, I need to be held accountable, so hold me accountable.

I title of my blog is derived from the fact that I am trying to figure out who I am and where I stand on many issues. As a result, I frequently find myself arguing each side of one debate or another in my head, essentially having a conversation with myself. This blog, therefore is my attempt to lay down some things I have decided on, and some things I have not. If at any point you see something you disagree with, let me know and we can totes have a convo about it. A second reason for the title of my blog stems from the fact that I don't get to have a conversation about what I believe with many people in my life for various reasons. This blog will make clear where I am in my life, and where I stand on a variety of issues. I hope you find it informative and entertaining. I will also simply discuss the whats going on with me, so that should be interesting too.

Up to this point in my life, I have had to lie about who I am, and most of my opinions and thoughts have been dictated to me by others. This blog is dedicated to my being honest with myself and with others. Recently, I have been feeling that I need to do more to make gay people better understood, and be a louder voice in the cry for equality. So here I am, unashamed, shouting to the world the truth about what principles I uphold, what I stand for, and what I believe in.

That being said, I am going to have a lot to say about the Mormon Church. Those of you who are Mormon and reading this (most of you are probably my family), I implore you to read on. Do not turn away because you perceive something I write as "Anti-Mormon". Anything I say is not intended to be hurtful or attacking. Rather it will be something I encourage a response to. Please, message me on facebook or something that I say offends you, or intrigues you. One problem I have found with members of the Mormon church (and myself) is that we shy away from conversations and topics that make us uncomfortable which leads to a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about the topics we are so passionate about (gay marriage, for example).

So here I am. Talking. As we all know, communication is key. So communicate, and I, in turn, will do the same.

- Joshua Read



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