What is or was your "macho" thing

[BeverlyAnn]

I know that many of us have, in the past, tried something macho to "cure" or convince ourselves we weren't what we are.  With me it was drag (no pun) racing.  I had a '70 Plymouth Duster with about 700 HP that we raced and I drove a '73 Plymouth Roadrunner with around 500 HP on the street. 

I ask this because at conferences I have met former military (including a Green Beret), firemen, police officers, etc.  Lots of people who either had macho hobbies or did jobs that were considered at the time, manly.

Bev

[katia]

skydiving! it was amazing. absolutely one of the very best things i've [ever done] in my life. i did a static-line jump from 3500 feet; that's when one end of a steel cable is attached to the plane, and the other end is attached to your parachute. When you jump, the cable is pulled tight and yanks your parachute for you as it releases. i had a walkie-talkie strapped to my chest, and they talked me through the landing. seriously, it was fun beyond all description.

[Debbie_Anne]

Hmm...I didn't have any "macho" hobbies.  In fact, I think people thought I was gay (which isn't to say that there aren't macho gay men out there...but I wouldn't have been confused with one).

[Brianna]

Voting Republican, and therefore again women's health care, women's reproductive freedom, women's economic freedom and for the white patriarchy.

Bri

[cindianna_jones]

It's kind of funny... but I did all the daring stuff after my transition! (Excepting the republican thing which I have recovered from)

How does hang gliding off the cliffs sound?  Or high peak climbing?  Or diving?  Or setting up in the midst of coyotes alone to do a little star gazing? I never dared try anything like that before leaving the other life.

No... I am a woman of adventure!  I used to be a card carrying geek.

Cindi

So, I break the mold. Sorry.

[Omika]

I joined the carpenter's union.

One of the better decisions of my life, I think.  Really humbled me.  I have much respect for the men and women who break their backs for a living.  I went slightly mad after a while, though.  The atmosphere just drove me over the edge.  I practically fled back to college, and within a month of leaving the construction industry, I realized I was a transsexual woman.

Fancy that.

~ Blair

[Buffy]

I used to club women over the head and drag them back to my cave by their hair....

Seriously, Mine was competitive Angling (Fishing) and I did a lot with a team of guys who enjoyed the social side sometimes more than the fishing. Never did enjoy going to the pub, drinking, playing darts.

Buffy

[Kate]

Driving my car very fast around various race tracks.

It wasn't "racing" per se, as it wasn't a competition. Its' something called "Track Time" where you simply SHARE the track with a dozen other lunatics, everyone just trying to learn and enjoy their driving.

I loved it because you'd get into this "groove" after awhile, where you HAD to stop thinking, trust your body and instincts, and just LET it happen. There's a lesson you learn: if you "try" to drive fast, you inevitably end up messing up and being slow... but if you just focus on driving WELL, you end up being fast even though it FEELS slow (because everything becomes so smooth).

Use the force, Kate... LET GO!

Seriously... it was a religious experience for me.

Kate

P.S. There were always girls there too, so I'm not so sure how macho it was, lol...

[Melissa]

It's kind of funny... but I did all the daring stuff after my transition! (Excepting the republican thing which I have recovered from)

How does hang gliding off the cliffs sound?  Or high peak climbing?  Or diving?  Or setting up in the midst of coyotes alone to do a little star gazing? I never dared try anything like that before leaving the other life.

No... I am a woman of adventure!  I used to be a card carrying geek.

Cindi

So, I break the mold. Sorry.

Cindi, I'm kind of with you on this one.  There's so much more exciting stuff I would rather do after transition than before.  I want to try hang gliding.  That has been a goal of mine for a while now.

As for macho stuff, I would have to say auto mechanics because that's when I actually *tried* doing something that was more macho.  I also thought I would enjoy the technical aspect of it.  I actually hate getting grease all over my hands now (although I'm not afraid to work under the hood as a girl).  The grease could not all be washed off in one day, but it wasn't that bad having dirty looking hands as a guy.  Many of the other things I tried (lots and lots of hobbies) were mostly because they seemed fun to me and they still do.  I still love working with computers and electronics.  I don't think that will ever change.

Melissa

[carol_w]

I learned how to fly, and became a licensed pilot.  I wanted to go on and get my instrument rating
(to be able to fly in most weather conditions) but I kept asking myself, "What the h*** am I gonna
use this for?"  So I quit- bad decision.  I always regret not trying to find some way to use it.

Carol

P.S.  Even then, I showed some signs of being "something" besides normal.  I tried out several
male instructors, and didn't like any of them.  Instead, I opted for a woman 25 years my senior
who had an Airline Transport rating, and who was later inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation Hall of Fame.  Our minds just "clicked" and as a result, I've never forgotten all of the lessons she taught me.

[Dryad]

I fought. A lot. But that was more of a means to not getting killed.

[BeverlyAnn]

How does hang gliding off the cliffs sound? 

Horrible.  I'm afraid of heights.  Not nervous afraid, we're talking hyperventilating, paralyzed type afraid.

As for macho stuff, I would have to say auto mechanics because that's when I actually *tried* doing something that was more macho.

Melissa, my late friend Sherri used to joke, "I worked on cars before I transitioned and I still work on them."  Then she would look down at Toby Meltzer's handiwork on her chest and add, "I just have to jack them up a LOT higher now." 

Bev

[Melissa]

Bev, that was one of my last attempts at doing something new before transitioning.  I had taken a correspondance course on auto mechanics and completed that.  It was actually something that I didn't hold a lot of interest in, but more of an attempt to cope with the real problem.  After transitioning, I usually bring my car to a mechanic, but at least I know if they are talking out of their mouth or their other end now.

Melissa

[Jessica]

Really, the only hobby I have had in the last 5 years, I don't know about macho or not, but it keeps me very busy and that is marine aquariums.  That and Scuba Diving, but I haven't done any diving in probably 8 years.

I am thinking about starting a freshwater planted aquarium soon though.

My reef is 100 gallon with a 20 gallon sump and a 30 gallon refugium.

I have a 125 gallon tank with a 55 gallon sump that I am not using at the moment that I am considering starting a freshwater planted tank in.

If there is a heaven, I hope it will be a reef

[LynnER]

Hmmmmm, what macho thing did I do.......

Im an HVAC tech who worked in dangerous conditions and thought it was fun  <still do>
I used to go repelling... jumping off walls and mountians and buildings with only a little rope to help me on my quick decent to the ground...
I allways wanted to but never had the money for sky diveing... Same goes for bungie jumping...
I was in a punkrock band <Still am>
Was a skilled mechanic.. <Still am>
Ummmmmmm.....  You know what...  I really dont know.....

Oh Yeah....
My friends used to drag me off to strip clubs all the time where Id end up friends with all the dancers with out spending a dime....  Nope... wait, thats not macho....
Ummmmmm....

Ok, now I remember...  I was an egotistical jerk, arogant B******, Alchaholic coke adict....  That was my macho thing and I dont miss a day of it.

[Maebh]

I think most of my past jobs were in a very macho environment and culture. 
Cheffing  and M d' H in restaurants. Driving trucks in the mountains in Corsica. Building-site Electrician, Crane maintenance. Factory maintenance Electrician. Electronic & Robotic Engineer. CNC Milling machines and Routers, CNC Lathes, CNC Grinders, CNC Spark Eroders, TIG & MIG Welding Equipment, Injection Moulding Machines maintenance Engineer. PLC and Manufacturing Robotic programing and commissioning. Engineering skills and Construction skills Instructor.

Only in the last ten years as a Tour Guide, as a Mediator and as a Career and Education Counsellor I have studied and worked mostly in a feminine environement where I sometime would be the only man on the course or in the job.

For sports: In school I played Rugby and won a few medals in the 1000 and 1500 meters and 10 K races. In Corsica I did mountain climbing and cliffs absailing and raced motorbikes. I still follow the 6 Nations Tournament and Formula one racing. I enjoy GGA (hurling and football) but have no interest whatsoever in Soccer, Darts, Pool, Snooker or Golf.

My main hobby: restoring and sailing old traditional gaff-rigged working boats is still a very male dominated domaine. I also love fishing and hunting.

At home I always did and still do my own domestic chores of washing, cleaning, ironing, tidiing, shopping, cooking, decorating etc... I also do all the gardening, house maintenance and DIY as well as my car maintenance. All these keep me busy and out of mischief.

What does all that say? May be when I was younger I might have tried to deny my feminine side but now both have learned to co-exist and express themselves in a complementary way? I hope so, anyway.

LL&R
Maebh

[Ms Bev]

I used to club women over the head and drag them back to my cave by their hair....

I used to do that         Still do!   

[Melissa]

Really, the only hobby I have had in the last 5 years, I don't know about macho or not, but it keeps me very busy and that is marine aquariums.  That and Scuba Diving, but I haven't done any diving in probably 8 years.

I am thinking about starting a freshwater planted aquarium soon though.

My reef is 100 gallon with a 20 gallon sump and a 30 gallon refugium.

I have a 125 gallon tank with a 55 gallon sump that I am not using at the moment that I am considering starting a freshwater planted tank in.

If there is a heaven, I hope it will be a reef

Awesome, another reefer.   I had a 55 gallon reef tank set up a while back and I had purchased a 120 gallon custom acryllic tank with curved from corners for $500, and I built a stand myself for about $60, but I never got it up and running due to limited money.  I would have needed to drop at least another thousand dollars in to get it up, but I started transitioning before I ever had a job that paid enough.

I also did scuba diving about 8 years ago as well.  I got certified, but I only went out on 1 dive after that.  I will probably just get recertified after I'm done with surgery.  I wouldn't feel confortable before then with the chance that my dive partner could accidentally discover I'm TS.

Melissa

[Jessica]

Melissa, you aren't kidding about the expense involved.

The Tank and stand are almost inconsequential in cost compared to the rest of it.
I quit keeping track after $3,000 on my 100 gallon.
130 Lbs. of Live Rock alone was $650.00
The lighting was $900.00 (Metal Halides + T5's)
it goes on and on.

It's my escape though, I can sit there and watch for hours.

One day I'll post pictures, if anyone is really interested in it.

Jessica

[LostInTime]

Since I was continually "mistaken" as a girl, I was introduced into weight lifting.  My narrow shoulders popped out after that (and a bit from the late puberty) and I started working out all of the time.  Hard to believe that I used to bench 300+ pounds.  Not too long ago I had to take a jar to a neighbor to get the top off.   

the martial arts, shooting, and paintball I did because I really love doing those things.  Only the weight lifting was ever done with the purpose of trying to be a male and hoping that once I reached some goal, all of the girl feelings would go  away.