Quote from: Janes Groove on September 11, 2017, 03:47:44 PM
Let me try to spin this the other way in the glass half full direction by couching it in terms of an unique opportunity. This reminds me that being transgender we are faced with the ultimate opportunity: What Campbell called "The Hero's Journey." Yes, society is constantly looking for the mutant and it is painful to deal with a transphobic society but it is that very thing that society abhors and fears that gives one powers that others do not possess and thus growth is the result both on the personal and societal levels. Like Prometheus stealing fire from the gods. Like the Marvel Comic franchise X-Men.
Being transgender is a chance to make the hero's journey. To travel into the heart of darkness. Confronting the unseen world and unknown forces, and bring back to our tribe the gifts we find there. Even if they don't want to hear it and we end up a Cassandra crying in the wilderness, our truth falling upon deaf ears. The hero ultimately finds peace knowing she has done all she can.
Jennifer Finney Boylan talks quite a bit about the heroes journey. Being different, being a Cassandra at times hasn't necessarily served me well. It's hard for me to be successful being half a person, but at the same time, there's a lot of risk taking the heroes journey. I've had to start over/ had career set backs a couple times and I don't fancy having to do it all over again by being the hero. I'm 55 and at a point in my life if I haven't done something remarkable, it ain't happening. It's like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Joanne gets it...if I was 25 again and unattached, it would be different. I don't want to be unemployed, living in a room somewhere wondering where I'm going to find work, let alone money for hormones. Bless the people that do it and succeed, but I don't bounce like I used to.
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