The Stephanie Chronicles

[Megan.]

You're positively beaming, and looking fab. X

Sent from my MI 5s using Tapatalk

[steph2.0]

You're positively beaming, and looking fab. X

Sent from my MI 5s using Tapatalk

We've been in plenty of road trips before, but I don't remember any where I have been in a better mood and so relaxed for the entire trip.

I think being the appropriate gender agrees with me! [emoji1][emoji6][emoji1303][emoji1384]‍♀️

Steph!

[Laurie]

Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a-wand'ring
So fair to be seen.
Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail, too,
And God bless you, and send you
A Happy New Year

Happy wandering Steph(anie) and Sue

[steph2.0]

Thank you Lau(rie)! We've been doing a fair amount of singing in the car, though mostly Jimmy Buffett tunes, not Christmas carols.

Sue, who is a very trivial person, informs me that wassailing was originally closer to a pub crawl, going house to house for Christmas drinks. I wish I'd known that earlier!

Sober Steph

[Laurie]

  Sue would be correct from what I've read but there is a nonalcoholic version that is quite spicy and sweet served hot. We made it way back when in elementary school and a few time since at home when I was a kid. I also like the song for it's good wishes and whimsical joy. But then I always did like caroling songs. There are some things I still like from the religious experiences of my youth.

[steph2.0]

Back home and unpacked,
Reflecting on the great trip:
What wonderful friends!

The whole trip as me.
Never once reverting back.
Permanently real.

I hope you had fun.
Thanks for riding along, too.
Sharing it was great.


My trip as haiku,
Another chapter is closed.
More joy is coming!

[Laurie]

Glad you two made it home safe and sound and had a great time in doing it.

[Jayne01]

That is wonderful Steph, I'm glad it was such a great trip for you both.

Jayne

[steph2.0]

A new friend went back and reread my coming out letter on my Facebook page. I came to know him and get him as a FB friend almost by accident. I'm a member of a Facebook group about a plane I used to sell and support. A friend of mine knew that I'd come out on my personal FB page, and thought it was all public. He mentioned that there were wonderful things happening in my life, and everyone should take a look at my page. Of course, my page is locked down tight, for friends only. DF, referenced below, was someone who'd heard of me because of my technical expertise in his plane, but we'd never conversed. He was curious, and asked to Friend me so he could see what was going on. I took a chance on him and let him in. And he surprised me with his positive response when he first read my coming out letter back in October.

After he reread my letter today we traded some comments about it. i thought I'd share them here:

DF: I just read this again, good information and happy for you Steph

--

Steph: Wow, D. It's pretty cool that you were interested enough to revisit that. I wish everyone was as open-minded and accepting as you are. Though I can't complain - everybody I care about cares back.

Thanks!

--

DF: Your very welcome Steph, all that really matters in life is that we are somewhat happy and appreciate our own lives, without hurting others in the process of getting our own happiness. Happy for you Steph

--

Steph: D, I've also been learning that happiness is contagious. The best the old glum me could muster was wry and self-deprecating humor, and it got me by, but invited the same response from those around me. Now with this unending smile that's driven by my internal joy, I get a lot more of those same smiles in return. True happiness invokes the same in others. That's gold.

And in the process of learning to love myself, I've come to appreciate how precious other people are, too. I never ever expected anything but rejection, hatred, and at best, confusion and a distancing from the vast majority of my circle of family, friends, and acquaintances. Considering that I don't believe I've done anything in my life outstanding enough to have earned the overwhelmingly loving response I've received, I can only attribute it to the inherent goodness and decency of "ordinary" people. Of course, "ordinary" is a misnomer. Those who are capable of stepping beyond their preconceptions and misconceptions and loving others despite their differences deserve to be called "extraordinary." Understanding is not necessary for love.

How I managed to be associated with so many extraordinary people I'll never know, but I'll also never stop appreciating them.

So for everyone reading this, the above is written for you. My thanks and love to you all.

And all that applies to my friends here on Susan's, too.

Steph

[steph2.0]

Damned hormones...

This morning as I sat in my jammies trying to catch up on emails after my trip, I reached across my desk... and knocked over my huge mug of hot tea. Hot tea all over me, my chair, my desk, the floor - and worst, the paperwork on my desk, which included all of my court paperwork for my name change hearing.

In the past, I would have been yelling and cursing and throwing things and running around like a mad person. What did I do this time?

I burst into tears.

Trying to absorb all that tea with paper towels while I could barely see. So embarrassed that I was crying that I cried even harder. Good grief!

Luckily, only the outside folder the court paperwork was in got wet, and damage was minimal for most everything else. The computer escaped unscathed, so everything is pretty much back to normal.

But wow, I wasn't expecting that!

Steph

[Jayne01]

I don't think that's what they meant when they say cross the "T"eas and dot the "i"s.

[steph2.0]

I don't think that's what they meant when they say cross the "T"eas and dot the "i"s.

LOL! I'll be a lot more careful about crossing my T next time, so I don't have to wipe my I's.

Besides, I'm trying to lower my T...

Steph

[steph2.0]

Well... one more interesting thing happened today. I'll write about that then call it a day.

Remember that picture I posted a few days ago when Sue and I went out to eat with me rocking the country girl look? I posted that to my Facebook page, too. I was experimenting with the "tag" feature where you attach a name to faces in pictures, and accidentally tagged my wife, then went back and removed the tag.

She runs with her own social crowd that involves her favorite sport (indoor badminton). Some of them have met me in my previous incarnation, but I never spent much time with them, usually preferring to stay home and work in the shop or go flying. Most of them only know me through stories that Sue's told them of some of our exploits. They've always invited me  to come to open play or hang out with them socially, but it rarely worked out. And they know nothing about my transition.

But... All of a sudden that picture is getting Likes from people I don't know. Whuh??? It turns out that I didn't get that tag off her picture after all. So her Facebook friends, most of whom are her badminton buddies, have been seeing the picture and liking it. (Got a Like from her brother, too, who she just told about me last week.)

Actually, neither of us minds all that much. Sue just rolls with everything as it comes along, and has even been encouraging me to just show up at their get togethers and let the chips fall as they may. And I don't really care either, as long as they continue to treat her well.

But we're curious if they really understand who that other girl is in the picture?

Steph

[Jayne01]

Yes, lower T is better than High T(ea).

I was trying to think of something witty about E, but I've drawn a blank......

[steph2.0]

Yes, lower T is better than High T(ea).

I was trying to think of something witty about E, but I've drawn a blank......

Heh. I've experienced high T, but not high tea.

But I'm not going to write an E-book about it.

[Jayne01]

I used to have a Facebook account that my wife set up for me. I never really got the hang of it. I would post something that I though only my wife would see and it turns out all her Facebook friends and their Facebook friends got the same message. I soon stopped using it because I had no idea how all the features worked. so be careful what you do on that as nothing stays private. [emoji846]

[steph2.0]

I used to have a Facebook account that my wife set up for me. I never really got the hang of it. I would post something that I though only my wife would see and it turns out all her Facebook friends and their Facebook friends got the same message. I soon stopped using it because I had no idea how all the features worked. so be careful what you do on that as nothing stays private. [emoji846]

Yeah, I took a lot of care to get it all locked down as tight as FB allows, and it seems to have been pretty private until now. And I just don't care any more. They were going to find out sooner or later anyhow, and considering that I don't hang out with them much, I don't really care what they think of it all - as long as they continue treating Sue well.

It is what it is, and I yam what I yam...

Steph

[Laurie]

I've also been learning that happiness is contagious. The best the old glum me could muster was wry and self-deprecating humor, and it got me by, but invited the same response from those around me. Now with this unending smile that's driven by my internal joy, I get a lot more of those same smiles in return. True happiness invokes the same in others. That's gold.

And in the process of learning to love myself, I've come to appreciate how precious other people are, too. I never ever expected anything but rejection, hatred, and at best, confusion and a distancing from the vast majority of my circle of family, friends, and acquaintances. Considering that I don't believe I've done anything in my life outstanding enough to have earned the overwhelmingly loving response I've received, I can only attribute it to the inherent goodness and decency of "ordinary" people. Of course, "ordinary" is a misnomer. Those who are capable of stepping beyond their preconceptions and misconceptions and loving others despite their differences deserve to be called "extraordinary." Understanding is not necessary for love.

  As I read this post the tears ran down my cheeks.

  How I envy you Stephanie. Your joy and happiness.

  I have never learned to love myself and what I feel is far from it.

[steph2.0]

  As I read this post the tears ran down my cheeks.

  How I envy you Stephanie. Your joy and happiness.

  I have never learned to love myself and what I feel is far from it.

Well, think of it this way: We here at Susan's are your family now. We're the "ordinary" people I wrote about, and we love you in the way I've found acceptance from my friends.

And it's OK if you don't love yourself yet. We'll cover for you until you catch up. You'll get there eventually. Why? Because I said so!

Your sister,

Steph

[Jayne01]

Well, think of it this way: We here at Susan's are your family now. We're the "ordinary" people I wrote about, and we love you in the way I've found acceptance from my friends.

And it's OK if you don't love yourself yet. We'll cover for you until you catch up. You'll get there eventually. Why? Because I said so!

Your sister,

Steph

Ditto!!!

Jayne