I have a temper myself

and tend to scream at things when they don't work right (my ISP for instance). I figure it's O.K. as long as I don't hurt anybody or give myself an ulcer; otherwise, I have to cool down. I think I also also tend to be attracted to hot-tempered youths, ones who have the sweeping arched eyebrows that often go with a passionate nature. It's interesting about that business of attraction to the feminine-in-the-masculine. Sometimes I find myself attracted to certain (very rare) females; but on the whole I think that if I really were really looking for one then I would be doing that, which I'm not. My sigpic boy is actually a real person. I saw him at a Renaissance Faire and took the photo this image is based on. You've identified exactly his appeal: the perfect balance of tender beauty and machismo. Androgyny taken to such a knife's edge for some reason is catnip to me. I wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to have Scots ancestry. His parents probably made this outfit for him, and I saw him with a man I took to be his father, who was kilted in a very similar style: so that may be more than coincidence. I've noticed there are some very handsome Scots people. Good luck with getting your mum over her notions of "what went wrong." Not all parents ever come around; I'd say that's more the exception than the rule where boylove is concerned. I prefer to avoid the topic with my family; it's a matter of self-protection. I've know people who had to cut themselves off from their families altogether because of this, and for at least one friend of mine that was the clearly the right choice. I hope things turn out more pleasantly for you. Take it easy! Anacreon (The subject of this painting is not me.)