As humans, we yearn to please our loved ones, and we take delight in doing so. It is something that we learn almost the moment we are born. Our first "potty" is a joyous occasion; our parents scream with excitement, and we are rewarded with hugs, kisses, and our parent's laughter. It seems that the older we get, and the more we are able to discern what is pleasing to our loved ones, the more apt we are to deceive them in the event that a certain aspect of our life does not agree with their views. In Eric Marcus' essay, Ignorance Is Not Bliss, he expresses sympathy toward gays and lesbians in the military who must abide by the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and contemplates the degree of grief they must experience by describing his misery as a result of hiding his sexuality from his grandmother. Because of the close bond that Marcus shares with his grandmother, hiding the truth from her becomes increasingly difficult because as he states, homosexuality is not something that merely affects his sexual lifestyle; moreover, it influences the decisions he makes, the people he associates with, and topics he chooses to write about as a journalist. Marcus feels that since he can no longer share those things precious to him with his grandmother, he is building a relationship with her whose very foundation is based on a lie. Ultimately, Marcus realizes that the only way to break the barrier between himself and his grandmother is to come out of the closet, even if doing so results in her rejection, or the loss of her love. Although Marcus' grandmother is deeply saddened by his revelation, her acceptance, unconditional love, and dismissal of her misconceptions of gays is best illustrated during a dinner following a gay civil rights speech Marcus presents at Lafayette College-she reassures another gay student that telling his parents he was gay was the right thing to do, and she simply says, &q...