Quiet Time

 This Monday morning Liz is off and since I am retired we took advantage of the cooler morning temperatures to take our walk. It was non eventful as always as we normally have to clean up after our dog who somehow needs to complete his morning "constitutional" in the neighbor's yard. The same neighbor who we saw this morning as she was leaving for work.

Photo by Hello Revival on Unsplash

We have lived beside her, her husband and daughter for years now and have never received a negative comment about a transgender neighbor. Whatever the occasion it is nice to be accepted. Following the walk, I returned to my morning coffee and to ponder what I could write about on such a quiet day.

Finally I decided to write about the rare pleasure (on my part) of having a quiet day. Given my mental makeup, I don't have many moments when I am able to set all my demons aside and just relax. I was fortunate when I found I was able to discuss my Bi-Polar anxieties with my therapist and not have them complicate further my life on the transgender interstate highway. I learned long ago my gender journey was far more than a path...it was more like an interstate. Always busy and rarely quiet. Much like I am. If I am relaxed I am sleeping. 

Throughout my life it has been difficult to separate my anxieties from my gender dysphoria. In fact for years I thought they were intertwined. I have read and/or heard from others when they completed their gender transition, they were able to discontinue using their anti depressant medications all together. No such luck with me. Even though I was able to begin a full time transgender experience in a feminine world, my depressions and anxiety stuck around with me.  Again I am fortunate in that I have been able tolerate my medications for years. Giving me a chance to appreciate the rare quiet morning.

It does give me the chance to thank all of you readers on my long time Google blog and my relatively much newer Medium writers format which is growing dramatically. I completely appreciate all of you who read all my experiences and especially those who take the time to comment. Your input makes my whole effort so worthwhile. 

Thanks to all of you again and I hope you can have your own "quiet" time away from all the pressures the world tries to burden us with. Adding gender to those pressures is similar to adding cruel and unusual punishment to your world.

Cha-Changes?

 

Pride picture from a couple years ago. 

Recently, I mentioned briefly about finally getting my application to the "Trans Journalists Association" approved. The hold up was the email mix up between my CyrstiH@Yahoo.com  old email and my newer Jessie751 email which is under my legal name. One it was resolved and they figured out I was a real person, the application went through. 

Then I found I wasn't finished. There is a sight called "Slack" which asked me to join too.  Turns out it is also a group of transgender orientated writers asking for input. 

Also, Google has announced it is doing away with it's "Feedburner" subscription service. Not to worry I guess because I received an email yesterday from a new service seeking to add all of Googles' former customers.

Of course it turns out there are extra steps I need to take also to make sure it happens correctly.

I am sooooo confused!  

I "Doesn't" Know It Part Two

 Michelle sent a comment in checking up on Liz and I, making sure everything was okay. She hadn't seen a post for two weeks. Thanks for asking, but we are fine and now I am wondering what happened since it has been so long since she has seen a post. I am fairly sure I only missed a day or two posting over that period.

The only real change on my end was a big one. Google, the giant who runs the platform Cyrsti's Condo runs on has decided to change the whole system.  The same Google whose "Adsense" format controls running ads on blogs. You may, or may not have noticed the pesky ads disappeared from the blog too...with no warning.  

Google also makes it nearly impossible to interact with anyone with concerns you may have. 

The problems must be more than just minor since Connie has had problems too and visits to the blog have dropped drastically. 

Hopefully, all of this will be settled soon.

Are There More Trans People?

Sometimes it seems to me there are more transgender women and men these days.

I back up my theory with two reasons. The first is due to the impact of social media and the internet. I still am amazed about the amount of material I run into as I research possible blog topics. Of course, at my age, I go way back to the days of Virginia Prince and her Transvestia Magazine being nearly the only sources of information for novice transvestites. Now of course, there are nearly too many outlets to mention where you can find information on trans people, 

Janet Mock

As an example, I just Googled "transgender" and received 173 million results. One of which one of the top trans activists Janet Mock. Indeed we have come along way!

Another example I can use is Angela Ponce who we featured a couple days ago here in Cyrsti's Condo.  She competed in Miss Universe in 2018 as Miss Spain. I can only imagine some of the feminine back stabbing going on behind the scenes with such a gorgeous contestant competing who was also transgender.

My second reason is an extension of the first. Overall, we are so much more visible because we all have a better idea we are not alone. Plus, as we have pointed out in the blog, it is increasingly easier to carve yourself out a place in the world.

So, there are probably not more transgender people in the world. Just more who are visibly finding their way.  No longer do we have to worry about transitioning and disappearing.

None of this though takes anything away from how difficult a gender transition can be. Let's not forget how gender dysphoria can tear away at a soul and how the whole process of learning another gender can tear relationships (family) and employment apart. 

Maybe, just maybe, if there are more trans people, they can have a chance to be happier.

Memorial Day Weekend

If you are located in the United States, it is Memorial Day Weekend. Unfortunately, many of us just celebrate the time as the start of summer and/or a three day weekend.

The true meaning of the holiday is, as described by the Google Dictionary: "a day on which those who died in active military service are remembered, traditionally observed on May 30 but now officially observed on the last Monday in May.."

 I am sure many of you have a relation or two who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. 

It's time now to put down your grille tongs and/or adult beverage and remember those who couldn't make it to your party. Especially, the transgender ones. Just think how many served in silence!

Future Ideas and Planning

Time flies when you are having fun and somehow-someway Cyrsti's Condo has passed the five year point with some 4400 posts. Along the way, over a million and half souls have visited here (thanks!) and somehow I have been able to scrape together "Stiletto's on Thin Ice" an E-published book which has sold a few copies here and there. Thanks again! But don't look for me soon in a Barnes & Noble Bookstore anytime soon.

Unless you are one of a fortunate few, you probably have heard or figured the potential to get rich doing this is not good. Although I have seen many blogs soliciting donations, Cyrsti's Condo only revenue comes from the ad's you see from Google Adsense So, this whole undertaking was not undertakin' as a financial "undertaker" for me.

As a daily blogger, I can tell you the time output is enormous  and the only way I can do it -is I am highly motivated and/or semi retired. 

Having written all that, what are my plans around here for the future? I am dazzled by those who think I have all this technical ability, when in fact I struggle. (1+1=?) So often, when I read of advances I could incorporate into the blog, they sound easy until I research them. A few ideas I have though ,I can take classes about at a number of area technical schools. To name one-one of the area schools around here is offering an inexpensive blogging/podcast class this fall. I would love to add a podcast to Cyrsti's Condo! (Years and years ago I worked in the commercial radio business.)

I have other "notions" of changes here in the Condo and for the most part, I always do. Plus I have plenty of copy already written for a second book. Which I think would be as entertaining as the first one was personal.

Now I have to live long enough to do it!!! Maybe the nursing home will make sure the old crazy transgender woman in the back closet deserves her computer-right?

Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Edition"

Kerplunk! Another Sunday edition from the Condo is hitting your virtual front porch.  This week around here at least, warm jammies and hot cocoa are in fashion- it's a brisk six degrees...but no snow.  Let's get started.
Page One.-The Week that WAS or Wasn't:  Overall, it seemed the new "it" community (transgender) took a week to pause and look at what happened, what it all meant and what it will mean.  I know to some of you, most of it means nothing.  An example is a person I have seen on Facebook asking if she was the only trans person in Ripley, Ohio?  If you know anything about Ripley and the area around it, it's safe to say in this little Ohio River town in a less than liberal area-she may be-but in reality she lives only a little more than 40 minutes from where I do in Cincinnati. Still others who I chat with on Google+ point to their "passing privilege still being a major problem.  I'm fairly sure both still will be in the near future. The difference is when someone looks at you and thinks you may be "one of them", it's not a bad or evil thing.
Page Two.-Transition Time Lines?  My oft quoted (or off quoted) Connie brought up the fact I was entering another of my "time lines" as I wrote about all the "groups" Liz has signed us up for.  FYI, if you live in or near to a population center of any size, Google "Meet Up's", at least in Cincinnati there are tons of them.  The utilitarian use is you can find one deeply into your interests and as you attend, being transgender just goes away-quickly.  As I have written many times, people don't readily know I am deeply shy and reticent about meeting new peeps. Regardless of being transgender or not. I will however go with Liz and yes, the experiences have taken me to new levels of negotiating the world.

Page Three.-Getting Social -Media? For the most part, my social media excursions into Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are very unremarkable-just regular folks like me.  On occasion though, I hit the jackpot and hookup with those who are really making a difference!  For example, this morning on Twitter, I received a request for a follow from a University of Cincinnati gender studies person and an acceptance of my LinkedIn request from another very visible transgender woman activist here in Cinci. 

Page Four.-We Got Mail!  Maria HardingFebruary 15, 2015 at 2:01 AM Thank you for the information listed here. I never really stopped and thought about how many people are actually included in trans* numbers until more people began coming forward. I appreciated your insights and courage as you continue on your journey. We have come a long way.

FABULOUSCONNIEDEEFebruary 15, 2015 at 3:27 AM Now I'm starting to get a little worried about overkill?  Is that a possibility I wonder?
Thanks to both to you!  I think those of us "in the community" knew how many of us were deeply stuck in the closet. On my part though, I thought the "outing" would come completely from the "bottom/up" starting with the younger generation.  Now though we are seeing more and more from different ages. Yes Connie, I too view the overkill as a reason to head stealth but there is still too much to do with too many people to do it. 

Page Five: The Back Page:  See ya, thank ya!!!!

Trans Universal

It seems we are everywhere these days. If you are familiar with another social media site of sorts called Pinterest, Google it and search transgender!