| Abstract | In this essay, I utilize autoethnography to explore the impact of a traumatic accident on my relationship with a same-sex significant other. Through narrative data revealing the complex nature of our friendship and sexuality, this essay provides both personal narrative and academic theory to interrogate the significance of remembrance (and its opposite—forgetting). The act of forgetting, whether conscious or unconscious, can be a powerful tool for reformulating a conception of self outside the bounds of societal expectations, as long as others also agree to forget, or not to challenge the act of forgetting. This communicative strategy supports the notion that identity is fluid—a constant process of disclosure, reflexivity, and continued disclosure to others.
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