"The Real Thing" short film

[Moonflower]

Moonflower, thank you for posting this!

My pleasure!

[Moonflower]

I just had to watch it again, the result was the same, crying like a little girl from the beginning and still sobbing minutes after the end. Literally, every scene, every moment brought up some memories and strong emotions. Only a few words were spoken but it was so much more powerful than I thought possible.

The most painful thing is that I could have been that girl, if only I would have been braver when I was her age, but I chose to hide instead and here I am more than 20 years later and still just existing instead of living.

Lynne, you make me particularly glad that my sweetie shared the film with me, and asked me if I wanted to share it here. So much grieving to do over missed opportunities.

Yes, I think that part of the power of the film was the minimal use of words, which drew a flood of words from my mind.

Go easy on yourself. I'm glad you're here. See how many obstacles you've overcome to get here! Then take one more tiny baby step in the direction you want.

[Moonflower]

Thank you Lisa for sharing more of your story. I like to think that someone could have taught you how to deal with such mean people,  but I know firsthand that things were different then. You and I didn't have the self esteem, communication skills, and bullying assemblies that kids have now. I am so pleased that my kids grew up in a community where such extreme harassment was never tolerated.

I couldn't get along with the world as a boy or the world couldn't get along me as a girl or something like that?

Great perspective!

Lisa, my life partner could have written the following words if her history wasn't so typical. She's been writing her Intro. I hope you will welcome her when she comes out from lurking here.

I saw no way that I could put up with another year of this mind warping life I was living and on top of that, at 17 my very delayed puberty had begun to show its ugly signs and I was even more horrified and a complete disaster. That's when my folks somehow found me yet another doctor that supposedly could help but I'd been seeing clueless doctors since I was ten and was so over the whole thing but they insisted and they were right. I got put on HRT at the beginning of summer vacation and did a lot of talking over the next few months to get my head in the right place to make it through my senior year and graduate which I did and never looked back. The week after, I got my new IDs and paperwork and a few weeks after that, I left home with $100 in graduation money and some sandwiches with no particular plan but to get out, live my life and make my own way.

I did okay. 45 years later I'm still here.

I'm glad you're here, too.

thank you for your kind thoughts not only to myself but to others and for taking an interest. I hope you found a few more details less than excruciatingly boring and applaud your courage for being a supportive and positive influence for your own loved ones and family. Hopefully my story can show how much that really means?

Thanks for returning to your trans roots, and helping others to believe in themselves.