Hi Q&C Reading your post brought back memories on my early days and I will answer the statement you proposed in the title. You mentioned in your post;
Quote from: Oldandcreaky on April 17, 2024, 08:57:11 AMI transitioned pre-Internet. Susan's didn't exist, so I was largely without mentors in the process. There was no Danielle to coach me in choosing a situationally appropriate wardrobe. I muddled my way, but Susan's and coaching like Danielle delivers would have helped.
Like you I also changed my life around before the internet took off and the beginnings of that change started in 1987 and 1988, well actually the two Christmas periods. The only piece of information and knowledge that I had at that time was an article from 'men's magazine', which showed an outline of man which transformed into a woman over 5 drawings.
That was it, in a nutshell. The internet began to enter general use in from around 1993 to 1995 and even then I did not really have access to the internet even then. I just started going to university in 1994. In 1989, I changed my life around completely, I never muddled my way around, I just changed my clothes, used makeup and lived my life as a women. To me, looking back, doing what I was doing, was just common sense to me at least and I did certain things, so that I could achieve that change.
Susan's Place was not even around at the time and I believe, did not really start until around 1995, by that stage I was four years post op. So I did not need any mentoring and even when I changed my life around I did not need any either. The only thing that Susan's Place could have provided at the time would have been knowledge and information and that has not changed since its inception, except for peer support and friends.
Quote from: Oldandcreaky on April 17, 2024, 08:57:11 AMI flew to Thailand for FFS about 15 years ago and at that point, I had been living in the female role for a couple decades, so I wore what many women my age wore, i.e. loose, comfy, cotton clothing. The transwomen I met there wore the gamut, from full length evening gowns with sequins on 90-degree days to practical outfits. The former needed Danielle's wisdom.
If I was to have any surgery, two stand out for me, one would remove the bags under my eyes (drying, googles and age) and two bring my breasts together so that I would have more cleavage!
I also as women, wore the gamut of clothing, evening dresses, gowns, dressing for work, casual clothing and trackie dacks when I went to University. I just looked at women's magazines and females and got what I liked from them and this was just how I did it in my time and still do to this day, with addition of the internet.
So the statement remains what; "One valuable thing that Susan's and Danielle deliver". I would change to , "The most valuable things that Susan's and its members deliver", would be;
- Knowledge
- Information
- Peer Support
- Friends
If I had not left Susan's in 2012, I would more than likely be mentoring Danielle!
Take care and look after yourself.
Love and HugsSarah BOfficial Greeter@Northern Star Girl@Oldandcreaky