This all seems to me to connect with various recent threads here which I have been pondering. Where are we trying to go in our respective transitions? I see two main philosophies, both probably equally valid but qiuite distinct, and, as always, with a spectrum in between. It was Clara's posts on FFS that made me realize that she and I are at different points on this particular spectrum. FFS is a means to be a more perfect (=beautiful?) woman than would otherwise be possible, and by being perfectly female in all visible (and a lot of other) respects to become bombproof against being 'read and able to merge into and become indistinguishable from cis-women. Forgive me, Clara, if I am seeing you in the wrong box, but I need to illustrate my thesis.
On the other hand, my primary objective is to be comfortable as the woman I am. Beauty and even 'passability' are definitely secondary. If there was one thing that Southern Comfort taught me it was to be comfortable with myself. Sure, there are discomforts outstanding to be attended to, and doubtless always will be. I would definitely like to be rid of my unwanted and very largely non-functional male equipment, and have at least superficially a more female appearance in that area, and get my legal status sorted out for my comfort. I have come out so thoroughly to my family and my community that 'passability' is largely a non-issue, particularly when most everyone knows myself and my O&O (DW doesn't fit so well these days) as an item. I am perfectly content to be one of the (vast majority of) women whom Dustin Hoffman regrets having dismissed in the past. Let's face it, by far the greater number of both women (and men) one sees around one are non-starters in the beauty stakes (even I am prepared to think that I rank better than a great many of them). And my comfort with all of this is such that I am happier now than I have ever been, at least since I was 7 years old.
But this is just my road. Yours will be different and hopefully is or shall be equally valid and satisfying.
Yes, Sammie, I agree about the eyes. Particularly smiling eyes.
Denita, 'Break the Box' is of course not just about kids. It illustrates so well what I've just done, and the rewards are unbelievable I fear I'm still a bit high, six weeks into 'full time'.
On the other hand, my primary objective is to be comfortable as the woman I am. Beauty and even 'passability' are definitely secondary. If there was one thing that Southern Comfort taught me it was to be comfortable with myself. Sure, there are discomforts outstanding to be attended to, and doubtless always will be. I would definitely like to be rid of my unwanted and very largely non-functional male equipment, and have at least superficially a more female appearance in that area, and get my legal status sorted out for my comfort. I have come out so thoroughly to my family and my community that 'passability' is largely a non-issue, particularly when most everyone knows myself and my O&O (DW doesn't fit so well these days) as an item. I am perfectly content to be one of the (vast majority of) women whom Dustin Hoffman regrets having dismissed in the past. Let's face it, by far the greater number of both women (and men) one sees around one are non-starters in the beauty stakes (even I am prepared to think that I rank better than a great many of them). And my comfort with all of this is such that I am happier now than I have ever been, at least since I was 7 years old.
But this is just my road. Yours will be different and hopefully is or shall be equally valid and satisfying.
Yes, Sammie, I agree about the eyes. Particularly smiling eyes.
Denita, 'Break the Box' is of course not just about kids. It illustrates so well what I've just done, and the rewards are unbelievable I fear I'm still a bit high, six weeks into 'full time'.