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JJ

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Johnny--reading between the lines it seems you are talking about Mindfulness Practice and in particular the mindfulness practice of focusing on our gratitudes. Being mindful of the miracles and blessings in our daily lives. Gratitude always leads to joy doesn't it!

Ricka

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Robin song heard this morning at sunrise, a sign spring is not far away here....

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Tonight my little girl (age 11) said to my husband's and my girlfriend that she was her only mom now, because technically I'm her dad.

That got her a big hug from me, and a reminder that no matter what I'm her parent and love her very much. I also reminded her that part of why I transitioned was that I want her to always be herself and so had to be myself to set an example.

She is such an amazing kid. I'm one lucky "technically dad!"

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Guest otter-girl

Four weeks til my RLT landing craft hits the beach. Intimidating.

Skipping an electrolysis session Monday to have a weekend off. Realising transition is not my primary focus and that other parts of life are. Trying to remember to keep the momentum going and trying to have a life at the same time. A first glimpse that it's beginning to be normal. Saw some Snowdrops today: beautiful.

American sniper at the cinema tonight.

Be kind to yourself

Rachel

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It's probably healthier to keep things in perspective and not have transition as the central focus of life when it doesn't have to be.

And I'm totally envious of the beach smell in your car, Megan, even if it is the "funky seaweed" variety rather than "fresh sea breeze." I haven't seen the ocean in like 8 years.

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Guest otter-girl

Megan, Thanks. (nearly typed tanks but it's not that kind of beachhead lol) I love beaches. Sand in your shoes for ages is a bit annoying though :-)

Ravin, very true, and great to hear your daughter and you are doing well.

Love

Rachel

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I fought my TURF WAR last weekend Meg :) and am victorious, blasted that moss too, and now it's so nice out here, took the bike out for putt, they could never know.....

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Guest MostlySwell

Oh my. I haven't been here since before the holidays! Winter. Bleh!!!!!! Turf wars??? Y'all. It's -4 outside. Yes. Fahrenheit!

A quick catch you up. My name and sex are legally changed and documented. I have a new birth certificate from TX, new driver's license from MN, and most everything else is now up-to-date. I till have stragglers, like Comcast and my education records, but I think that's all. My passport should arrive any day now. Yes. Texas issued a new birth certificate with new sex. The evidence that anything may have been changed is that I changed my last name, so it doesn't match either parent.

Other great news. I auditioned for and got invited to sing with One Voice Mixed Chorus, here in he Twin Cities. We're the largest LGBTA chorus in the country. :lol: I'm a first tenor. My voice is changing! "Squee!" I mean, "hey man, my voice is changing. he he he."

All of that get new, but for some reason, this winter has been really ruff. The only saving grace is that it's so cold that I don't have to deal with my busy body next door neighbor. If anything set me on a downward spiral, it was her, somehow or for some reason deciding that I needed her pity, so she brought me plant and then baked me brownies. I think what was really going on was she wanted to ask me twenty questions, having heard from my other neighbor that I was official with the name change. Has anyone else had neighbors being jealous or feeling left out because one was their court witness and the other was left uninformed? I bet that's what her problem was. Anyway, it was really awful, because I told her I was "people out" and declined an invitation to go over for dinner. Then she shows up with a plant and then again with brownies. "People out" means leave me alone and give me space. I texted her that and now there's this awful deadweight silence between our households--and it's made my going outdoors to take my dog out or go to my car seem terribly awkward. Ugh. Anywayzzzzzz, aside from this unbearable thing going on with next door (she's done similar things before--sending me job opening informations, knowing I have a disability and wondering if maybe I wasn't working because I didn't want to mess up my benefits. yes. Same person. Busy body.) Bleh. lol I guess I needed to get that off my chest!!!! Thanks!

Speaking of chest, I have a second chest hair! I discovered it this morning. lol

I feel better already. Thanks for hearing it!

Missed y'all.

Turf wars.... grumble grumble That's so ridiculous it's funny. But, I'll be in the same boat in just a matter of weeks.

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Guest MostlySwell

Embarrassed by my rant. Ugh. I give that stuff way too much power. :thumbdown::hairpull:

There are so many cool things going on for me. :)

And, I hope my comments on your "turf wars" were understood as humorous jabs. ;) I have good reason for living here--it's affordable and I have really good access to brain injury health care. February is hard. But that y'all are getting a handle on the weeds early in the season is awesome!!! :thumbsup:

Freddie

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  • 2 weeks later...
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Well instead of worrying about weeds and moss it is snow here. Today seems to be the beginning of a big thaw. We have had a few small flows of maple sap and have blocks of frozen sap in the collection house. I only know that because i plowed a path through the woods yesterday with the tractor. The last snow we got was quite deep and i couldn't use the 4 wheeler to get there without plowing. I just got back from digging a path to the sugar house which is about 1000 yds from the house. Fortunately the heart seemed OK which i'm happy about. Soon the mud will be the problem but for a few days i'll be sliding on white stuff until it turns to muck. Oh yes i am also the mom of a bunch of kid goats. The small nursery stalls i built this winter seem to be working fine and even though the last few nights have been around 0 they have been ok. At least two more does are bread and perhaps i'll also have a few surprises as well. We often do. Spring is always busy here with physical demands. That is a bit hard but it is also full of such beauty.

We have plenty of ground dwelling wasps here as well Megan but they are still a bit chilly. I'll be confronting them in August. My son has taken over the work with the honey bees i'm glad to say. He is a public defender so he's used to getting stung.

Hugs,

Charlize

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I'm so sorry Megan. You get to leave them behind when you leave the restaurant but they are stuck living with someone like that full time. I know who has a better life.

It isn't just reserved for trans people either. When I was severely overweight it got to where I hated to go out to eat because of the comments and looks. Sadly human nature goes both ways and produces some narrow judgmental people eager to throw the first stone as well as those who make life better for all around them. In the end though I believe we reap what we sow. I never met one of those judgmental people who was anything but bitter and unhappy.

I'm sorry they cast a shadow on your meal.

Johnny

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Guest MostlySwell

Well said, Megan and Johnny, both. Thanks for the reminder to live one's life freely and no how to maintain an attitude that is impervious to phobic and hateful tendencies from others.

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Guest ashleynikole

Oh I know that feeling and I hate it.

Just this past Monday, I was out with my girlfriend and kids while one of my girls had a hockey class. We were standing at the snack line when I caught a glimpse of a woman at a table about 20 feet away staring at me. Of course she looked away but I saw her doing it again in a few minutes and at one point she even leaned over to the older lady sitting next to her and said something and that lady of course turns her head and stares right at me.

After about 5 minutes, another woman sits down with these two ladies and she's less graceful about staring and gossiping as she darts her head up and looks around a lot until she locks on to me and then stops looking around and stares. At that point, I was walking by and I gave her the biggest, nicest, "I know you're talking about me", smile that I could muster. They never said a thing to me but to sit and stare and whisper is flat out rude IMO.

It's so funny that you can have your ebb and flow days where one day you don't give a rat's butt what others think, or say, or do, and then some days, even the most innocent stare is like daggers to the heart.

Still journeying

Ashley

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I was in a restaurant with friends one time and this one woman tried to stare me down. I just kept on eating and enjoying the night. If she didn't like me that was her problem.

:)

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest otter-girl

Hi Megan,

Im holding on that last line of yours " not to give up on people - they can come around in time."

Im out and RLT now and being quite sensitive I see and feel the "elephant in the room" situations. But these are offset when people who have known me making the effort to approach and re -affirm their connection and offer support. These top quality human beings offset a herd of non-entities.

One casualty might be my sister who is afraid of her husbands opinion and has distanced herself for now. Had to file that in the 'not my problem' box and just see what happens.

Hugs

Rachel

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Guest otter-girl

Under strange 'firsts' you can get later in life is I'm starting to throw out some female clothes that I've actually worn out. Like a pair of socks that have a hole in the heel and a top that is looking really tired now.

Rachel

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I have done some of that as well Rachel. Older tatters can go. I have also been doing a kind of purge. I had amassed a great many outfits and so many of them were unwearable for various reasons. There were those whose style isn't me at all, some that are simply too sexy for a 66 year old woman and even some S+M outfits from when i was spending some time experimenting. All of this can go, i'll never wear it, but somehow it is still difficult to let go. This is the kind of a purge i should perhaps enjoy but i'm finding an old attachment still lives within me. The solution is a few large garbage bags and a trip to the recycling center. At least now i'm holding my head high without the shame that was always attached to a purge.

Mmmm maybe i'll hang on to some 5" spike heeled thigh length boots and a short skirt or two. I mean halloween will come again.

Hugs,

Charlize

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Filter the bubbas, It's like dude, I just don't exist for your benefit....

Smile away goodbye....

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Guest otter-girl

Now I used to really be into computers back in the old 8-bit days. Im talking pure assembly language. I used to crack software, could look at pages of hex dumps. Anyway roll on a few years/decades sigh. Installing a scanner on Fedora linux. Should be really easy. But nope, hit problems. Spend an hour on the command line and web trying different software and fixes, then it dawns on me.....

.

.

.

I forgot to plug the USB cable in.

Im gonna blame this on hormones. ;-)

Rachel

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Guest TGTrish

The memories, back in the '80s I wrote more Z80 code than I want to think about, including a real-time OS for arcade games. The dual register set was so nice to have.

I still write x86 code using NASM now and then.

Trish

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Guest TGTrish

Did my taxes about three weeks ago. Unfortunately my wife's employer didn't deduct enough. 4/15 is a (I have to) payday.

Who needs vacation anyway,

Trish

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  • Posts

    • Carolyn Marie
      https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jun/02/tories-will-allow-bars-on-trans-women-says-kemi-badenoch?CMP=share_btn_url   The conservatives in the U.K. have adopted the American GOP playbook and are intending to ban trans folk, in particular trans women, from the public square.  Erasure is a stated goal of theirs now.  It is a sad thing to see.   Carolyn Marie  
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Interesting.  But.... doesn't going through this court case fix the reputation aspect by itself?  I mean, all they have to do is print off a copy of the news story/court proceedings.  "Hey look, a judge and jury said it wasn't true."  And since there's no criminal history, it doesn't affect a background check.    As for not getting "any" work...really?  I've known some extremely squirrelly people to get good jobs, including actual molesters/abusers with real history that can be found on a background check.  How possible is it to prove a negative statement such as "I can't get any work" in court?     Perhaps if this person lives in a small town where nobody knows they do drag-queen stuff on the side, being outed could cause issues.  But is that a factor that was considered in this case?  And isn't being outed if you've got a "secret drag queen life" a risk that simply goes along with that activity?  I would be interested to see the  proof of loss the jury received.  Is that usually a public document, or sealed? 
    • VickySGV
      Best of luck with all good fortune for the healing of those feelings.
    • VickySGV
      Eighteen years is not nearly long enough if your reputation has been damaged to the extent that you will absolutely never get employment of ANY SORT and your potential work life is 30 years.   Even people in Trades work do not want to hire you at the lowest sweeper levels. You cannot work in some fields where you are professionally licensed (and you lose the licenses as well) because you work with actual minors.  We are not told what the person's "Day Job" really was in this case but Drag performance is NOT a job any time to get rich on unless you get a full fledged entertainment contract like RuPaul.  My friends here that do Family rated Drag performance cannot live on it and have other highly responsible jobs in other parts of the entertainment industry or some other fields  To come up with that figure, actual proof of loss must be given to the jury and they must accept it if it meets the Preponderance Of The Evidence rule for Common Law levels.  $51K per year would be the salary of a Teacher or even Licensed Vocational Nurses neither of which could be filled by a person required to registered as a child molester or abuser as this was.  The $250K punitive damages were the lesser of the awards so this overall verdict was based on sworn and verified evidence of the amount of actual damage.  My 40 year career was in the legal system where I had to know courts and the law system including slander and libel.   
    • EasyE
      Gender rarely enters my dreams. I dream a lot about traveling and being on a journey somewhere. Recently, I did dream that I was out in public wearing one of my female sleepwear items. I remember thinking I had better get inside before someone saw me. 
    • KayC
      Hi @NoEli6 - Thank you for sharing your story and concerns over your feelings. I cannot give you statistics or even a valued opinion on the difference in MtF and FtM experiences and who faces the most challenges - But from my own life experience and my personal unique Trans journey I can say this - I think we ALL as humans bring our own baggage and unique challenges with us ... and the vast majority of that has nothing to do with our Transgender identity.  Everybody ... Every Body ... will face their own unique obstacles and fears, but also their own unique victories and growth.  This is what Life is ... and what is most noble is when we can live as our true authentic selves and celebrate and support others in the same way.  So ... I hope you can let go of your concerns, embrace others with their own peculiar (and sometimes harmful) faults.  Live your Life as you are. And please stay with us and share your experiences with others.  This is what we call Community.
    • KayC
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    • KayC
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    • Ashley0616
      Still building 
    • Ashley0616
    • MaeBe
      Thank you for sharing your story with us, Kay! It’s not nonsense of which you write! I am glad to hear your family is with you. It truly is wonderful having support at home.    💜Mae
    • MaeBe
      Dreams, the latest battleground of dysphoria.   My dreams have been a battlefield between my socialized gender and the gender I’m living.   I feel like I should personify myself in dreams as feminine, however I find I’m “male” is many. It’s been difficult waking up when I remember the dream, as if the dream is telling me I am male and I am lying to myself. In these dreams, I do tend to have gender struggles, though; a recent dream had me choosing between gendered bathrooms, being “forced” into the men’s room by the women’s being opened from the inside by a woman and “scaring” me off. I felt wrong going into the men’s room, same as I do in waking hours, and it adds to my stress that I don’t seem to honor myself in my dreams.   How do you dream? Do you embody your lived gender or your socialized one?
    • Kay3Seven
      Hello! I'm Kay. And, I'm no good at introducing myself. Far too indecisive to be simple or easy. So I figure if I put it all out here, transparent and honest with y'all and myself, maybe I can make some real connection, maybe some life long... dare I say... friends!... anyhooo. The "quick" overview of my life: I'm 38, was born in 87 in Idaho where I still live(sigh) A happy little boy, I ran and jumped and played in the dirt. I was exactly what most imagine when they think of happy little boy, but only on the outside. By first grade I knew I was different. I got along with the girls better, and had lost most interest in boy dominated things. I was raised with 1 older and 1 younger sister. We played dress up, and with barbies, and I was happy. I still had lots of boy qualities tho, loved getting dirty and climbing things etc. So, nobody saw that I was different. By third grade I knew that I wasn't supposed to be in this body. I started a new school, lost my couple friends, couldn't explain to anyone why I was sad, and mad and I started acting out. I got into trouble nearly daily. I was diagnosed ADHD, and stuffed full of meds. It just made things worse. I remember feeling like I could tell anyone anything that I felt inside. So I acted out more, getting into fights, skipping school to just wander around town alone. Then the summer between 3rd-4th grade came.. that summer was spent with my dad and step mom, and step siblings. That summer I was molested by my older step brother, he also molested my sisters and a couple neighbor kids. It messed me up in ways I didn't understand until I was much older.  I was scared, but finally told my mom just before Christmas that same year. Then it all unfolded, life was never the same. But not in the way you might think.  My step brother went away, and all of the kids including myself went into therapy. For years.  (Now, the part I didn't understand for a long time)  I knew that what happened was wrong, and I was not to blame. But, I also never felt like I was damaged from it. It was a thing that happened, but I moved on very quickly. I did not want to be in therapy, so I refused to cooperate for years. I went thru a handful of counselors and therapists. I tried to open up once, about wanting to be a female. They said "it must be a way to cope with a male taking advantage of me" and "you don't want to be a girl, your confused"... it really put me behind mentally having an adult tell me that I didn't know how I wanted to present externally. It was the first person I told anything to, really made me shut down.  I didn't get a passing grade in any class since that day. I kept my secret, and lashed out at the world.  My poor mom, I drug her thru the mud for years. She's the most amazing person, I wish I would have known that she would love me no matter what. But... I didn't. I got into fights, out past curfew, and ended up on probation, even did some time in juvenile detention. It wasn't all a bad childhood tho. My mom loved us kids, we grew up poor, but loved.  *Details you'll need later: I spent a lot of time cross dressing from about fourth grade on. Even more confusing, once I discovered my sexuality by myself, I knew I was very primarily attracted to women, but also learned that I very much enjoy an*l play... very confusing set of circumstances at a young age..  Back to it now. Once seventh grade came around my older sister came out as bi-sexual. She was in ninth grade, and she was my hero. And it nearly gave me the strength to talk to my mom about myself. But before I could I overheard a conversation between my dad and stepmom, tearing my mom down, saying that my sister would be "normal" if she had a better mom... it hurt my soul so much watching her get bullied, losing friends, and being the odd one out. I went deeeep back into my hole. I didn't come out of that hole for 22 years.  I dropped out of school the day I turned 16, and went to work. I found lifelong friends in the automotive racing community, I forced myself to be an alpha male type. It was the hardest years of my life. But at least I wasn't alone. I'm still great friends with a couple of them to this day.  Years after high school, and probation and all the woes of youth I found myself to be very lost in life. I had just gone thru a major heartbreak, I was 22 and spiraling into a dark place. My best friend talked me into moving across state to go to college with him, and so off we went. I would call boise Idaho huge, but it was big to me. That's where I met my now wife of ten years. She's amazing. We have a nearly nine year old daughter, finally this year bought a home. She has a great career, I'm still not super set on a career, but have always had a good paying job. (I think I might go to back to school, shhhh, let's keep it between us as to not jynx it...., hopefully I find a job I can love instead first.) My loving wife is the reason I was finally able to come out, to process my hectic life, to start transitioning, and to be myself for once. I had a coming apart a couple years back, I was horrified that I would lose her, lose my daughter, my close family and my friends. I was so wrong. Apparently she's always known something was off. She had some mild worries that I might be interested in men from the way I carry myself, my interest in more femme things. She was relieved when I finally told her, she had been living with the fear that I was going to leave her someday for a lifestyle that better fit me. She was scared to lose her best friend. I'm now happy to say, my wife and daughter, mom and 3 sisters, and my closest friends are all in the loop. And they all support my changes.  I'm very lucky, dare I say blessed... lol. I'm still not out publicly, if your from idaho you might understand. It's very hard to be different here.  But I'm coming up on 8 months on hrt, have had 6 laser sessions on my face, still working on my weight, I'm a chunker(sugary things are my weakness lol.. and I've been slowly over the last couple years wearing things I love. I paint my nails, I wear mascara, I'm not really hiding things from the world. But also not pushing it into the light. Wow... I can go on like this forever! If you've made it here, thank you for sticking with me!  It feels good to be able to put all of my nonsense somewhere.  xoxo, Kay  
    • Mikayla2024
      thank you !! 😊   thank you girly! I was at Walmart today and my head shifted towards the women’s clothing while carting (not Mario Karting - just to be clear) by it. I felt all kinds of euphoria.    See, I would buy online but I don’t really know my size(s) off the bat yet or what fits me, but I want to start presenting as feminine at home and socially asap. Going out in androgynous clothing even though it’s mostly lulu is causing gender dysphoric symptoms to flare a bit. Once I figure out my size(s) I do plan to shop online, SHEIN being one of those places as my wife is also addicted.    I heard jersey and I assume you’re a sports fan!! But, I can SO imagine your walk-in closet 😍😍😍
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      I think trans women have more visibility simply because there are more of them.  Note the numbers on this forum...way more folks are MtF than FtM, it seems, and the FtM subforum is less busy than other areas.  I have some guesses about why that might be in society, but its not very relevant.  Being a minority of a minority of a minority is just part of our experience.  Not good or bad, it just is.    But yeah, you don't have to be MtF to experience crime.  I was assaulted and injured back in 2022.  My attacker didn't know about me being FtM/intersex, but clearly identified me as being under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.  It was reason enough, I guess.  Since then, it is really rare for me to leave home by myself for any reason.  Not that my problems are any worse than anybody else's.... quite the contrary, as I suspect I probably have it easier due to my family situation.  Just a personal example that crap happens and none of us are totally shielded. 
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