Introduction
I was born in a household that was mostly managed by my father. While my mother occasionally visited, she had a strained relationship with him due to what I would later learn was opioid addiction. My father is an old-fashioned, masculine man who wanted to raise my brother and me in the same manner as that of his upbringing. As a result, I mostly played with dinosaurs and toy soldiers at home without having access to items that may be considered more feminine. With that said, I was aware that they existed and had no particular interest in playing with them. The other part of my early life is responsible for this knowledge and decision.
Essence
My father believes that children need regular physical activity and social interaction to grow up properly. As such, I would spend much time outdoors with other children, both boys and girls. I saw the latter playing around with dolls that they would bring with them but never had any particular interest in the activity. Instead, I embraced sports, which were also taking place in the playground. I remember playing football, baseball, and soccer, which I found myself favoring more and more often. I had some natural talent for legwork and enjoyed developing it and outplaying others. This preference has continued into the present, and currently, I play college soccer for recreation.
My brother, who is four years older than I am, may have been the source of my initial interest in the other sex. He was attractive and popular with girls and would often bring someone home for a sleepover. Our father knew and accepted this activity, and I saw it as usual due to this acceptance. Around the age of 9, I began seeing girls as attractive, though I would not act on these feelings until later on. Like my brother, I had my first intimate physical contact at 12 and first engaged in sex when I was 13. Since then, I have frequently been dating and having sex regularly.
Throughout my teenage years, I have given earnest consideration to the idea of homosexuality and whether I was attracted to other guys in that way. However, I found that I was not particularly interested in men. I neither admired the male body the same way I did the female nor felt anything similar in their proximity. I do not think that homosexuality is anything noteworthy, either positively or negatively, though the topic raises some technical questions out of curiosity. I have gotten used to seeing same-sex couples occasionally and no longer remark on it as anything unusual. Overall, I respect others’ sexualities and choices, even if I may not understand them or share the same views.
Conclusion
I mentioned above that I am attracted to the female body, but the statement does not mean that it is my sole concern regarding women. I enjoy dating and talking to girls as much as the more physical side of a relationship. I also believe in freedom of choice and do not force my decisions on my partners. They are free to do as they choose, and I will support them as long as I think they will be better off as a result. With that said, I consider physical characteristics significant and prefer looking at someone who I think is attractive. Overall, I am attracted to women both physically and mentally, but, while I do not share the same sentiment for men, I respect those that do.