Apr 04 2015
On this, my 67th birthday, I found a tear wrenching letter to transgender old people at the Advocate.
Now the letter was not so much aimed at me personally. I did not transition in my 60s. I transitioned 2/3 of my life ago, at the age of 44. That was enough of a problem in itself.
How did you do it? How did you keep yourself going all those decades in the wrong gender? You must be the toughest person alive.
–Marlo Mack
Marlo, there just a wasn’t a lot of choice. Survival is a strong motivation.
Dec 25 2010
copyright © 2010 Betsy L. Angert. Empathy And Education; BeThink or BeThink.org
Perchance, on this the twenty-second commemoration of a lesson learned, it is time to reflect on our first, foremost, and greatest Teachers. More than a generation has passed. In that time, I have acquired much knowledge. Yet, I am forever reminded that the more I know, the more certain I am. I know nothing with certainty. What I once thought was the greatest treasure, a tradition I could never part with, was other than it appeared. I never imagined what would become my truth. Today, I share the tale with you.
Nov 25 2010
Folks, tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. I shall not go onto the history of it, since everyone has her or his own interpretation, and the pundits have theirs. The Big Bloviator promised to repeat his distorted idea of it again today on his foul radio program. I made it a point to miss it.
However, it is important to reflect back on the previous year and consider the things for which one gives thanks, and actually to give those thanks. I do not care if your thanks goes to a deity, to other people, or to communities like these. The important is that one thinks about the good things that have happened during the past year and thanks someone other than one’s self for them.
Oct 10 2009
Most of us, I suspect, go through our lives with this niggling little feeling of “if only” we had our act together, we could really do something with it. Or do something better. If only we were more organized, had more energy, better tools and gidgets, or had taken a different course of study, or if our parents didn’t hate us, or if we hadn’t gotten sick, or if the car hadn’t come over the center line….
Other times, like a Phoenix, we arise from what should have just been one flat out disaster that we should not, no way, no how, have survived, and yet we did, leaving us puzzled as to why. We had a chainsaw and gas when the tree hit the car, we trusted our instincts, our tracking skill, and our horse and found the trail back, we came up to the edge of the cliff and… didn’t fall off, the seat belt held and the embankment wasn’t too steep, the life jacket worked and somebody pulled us out. Or we pulled them out. We traded for firewood and didn’t freeze to death. We found a job or received a gift unexpectedly, just in time. We were in the depths, and bounced just so, and came back up gasping.
And still, have this little insecurity. It could be better, right? We got through the week, clawing, kicking, and screaming, resigned to just surviving the dreadful thing… the ogre bosses, the obligations, the whiny relatives, the disappointments, the crazy destructiveness of our political system, waking up at 4am exhausted, now,not having to do that soul killing monotony for a day … What if…
Sep 27 2008
I am the interim,
The woman in between
The love you lost and the love that earns your heart.
The interim is me.
We will sing and dance through all our days
With feet bare and loose hair.
I will take off my clothes when you’re in the mood.
Dancing and singing and loving will compose us.
I will cook for you, three meals a day,
And clean your house and wash your clothes.
I will not do these things well,
But you can count on something to eat, something to wear.
I will comb your hair, and I will braid it
Like a warrior or a lover to fit your mood.
You will never feel the tangles when I comb them.
We will shower, and I will wash your hair for you.
We will drive at night, and smoke,
And sometimes we will stop beside the water
Or visit the mountains and dream of living there.
And when we dream, we will laugh without control.
Then eventually, something will happen to (you and me),
A separation that only occurs
Because what can’t exist can’t last for long.
Always, I must go my own way,
Out of the interim, into the woman between.