Being Rob Lowe

Mission 1. Hook up with someone as old as my mom (54)and as young as my sister (20) in a month.
Mission 2. Live a completely gay lifestyle (without the gay sex) for a month.

I'm a pretty normal dude. I know it's hard to believe considering the past month or so. I've been constantly asking myself, "Rob, what the fuck are you doing?" But, I have been lucky to this point. There has been a spiritual silver lining to even the most improper of challenges.

I’ve always been fascinated by the theory that life is a series of seven-year cycles, and with each one we change as a person. Logically, who we are and what we become depends largely on our experiences. And when we alter them (like hooking up with a distinctly older woman, yum!) we change in ways we may not realize for years to come.

Last weekend at the wedding, I went deep into my mission to bed a 21-year-old and stayed "present." During those 48 hours of yogi-like clarity, I realized I had two selves. One is a formerly-repressed free spirit who is now having his way through these unorthodox stunts. The other is an introspective thinker who finds the meaning in the method. He's the self who's been dominating my spirit for 29 years, but lately has been relegated to mere note-taker status. By separating the two selves, I realized I had a much more insightful perspective. So, for that reason I will not try to make written sense of my missions while they are happening. Rather, I will be present at my mission and deal with the analysis afterward.

The gay lifestyle is already changing me. First of all, I have kept my shirt on for a total of about one hour all weekend. No shit. Prior to my wax job, whenever I saw a guy without a shirt outside of the beach or a yoga class, I would politely offer up the “shirtless guy alert” to my friends. But, now I am the one causing the stir. Bad boy.

There are other upsides to the gay lifestyle. So far I look better, have a better social life, and according to a fellow Angeleno and thespian, Urban Bella, I am learning what it is like to be inside the head of a woman. And you know what? I'm guessing that's the only way I'll be inside a woman for the next month, so I better enjoy it.

Coming up this week on Lifestyles of the Gay and Fabulous:
1. My Fiercely Gay Club Experience
2. My Coming out Research
3. Fashion and primping