Waltzing A Two-Step: Reckoning Family, Faith, And Self
Waltzing a Two-Step is the first-person account of a boy born in the rural Midwest in the middle of the 20th Century. A bright, timid boy, he is enthralled with the grandeur of his local library and his Catholic church. One of five children in an upwardly mobile family, he struggles with being gay. Contemplating the paradoxes that life presents him, he looks for his proper place in an enticing but unwelcoming world, a search that takes him overseas-chasing lost happiness and struggling to fit in. His search ultimately reveals that he has been looking for himself all along. It is a cautionary tale told late in life out of the comfort and regret that come with memory, and with the bittersweetness of time and opportunity gone by without addressing things that should have been said earlier. The story has many parallels to the world in the 21st Century and is a must-read for those searching for life's answers.
Author Dan Juday grew up in the very conservative, protestant Midwest. He felt like an outsider at school, at home, and in various jobs in Indiana where he grew up. His journey of discovery deeply involves his deeply traditional Catholic upbringing, understanding his disdain of macho-ism and love of warm, friendly, peaceful relationships, and finally realizing he was gay while in middle and high school. The author lived on the outside of "norm in the Midwest" and eventually moved to Spain during college and lived a more peaceful, yet difficult adult life in Europe. The story takes place during the pivotal era of the '60s and '70s and the book details the very kind-hearted, hardworking Juday's angst during the John Kennedy era and his parents' choice to lie about voting for the Catholic president, he also shares other stories from his youth that echo many of the issues facing the United States currently making headlines around the world. His writing shows the depth of his compassion, through tough times as well as good times. He shares stories about significant relationships in his life, both male and female partners over the years. Though engaged in college to a French girl he met in college, "lover" applied only to his male companions. He confessed to his fianc and broke off the engagement - a pivotal moment that began his acceptance of Self.
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