Hi everyone,

Val here again.  I signed up a couple of months ago, posted a little and lurked, never feeling like I belonged.  I felt like a complete neophyte; it seemed like even the people who had just come out had been dressing for years where I never really did it until months after I came out.  It all made me feel like I had nothing to contribute, and anything I did add seemed forced to me.  The forums and website were just places for me to read, not really fitting in (in my head).  That was then.

Now, my head is in a completely different place.  The proper hormones make a huge difference in how one feels about themself.  Now, instead of seeing transition as some sort of "competition" and what I can contribute as "keeping score" I just want to see what I can learn and what I can share.

Val

Welcome back, Val.  I'm happy to know that things are falling into place.    Please, grab a chair and post away my dear.

tink

Hello Val,

Good for you for sticking around.  I think there's no shame in lurking in your situtation.  You're right, you can learn from listening (er, reading, in this case) and, well, just do what you have to do, what you can do.  Yes, the more common story is dressing for years, but starting much later in life isn't *that* rare.  It's my story, actually...  But you're right also that it's no competition.  It's not because it's not the same game.  Our journeys all follow different paths.  We do what makes sense for us.  Gosh, I'm envious of your hormones, for example.  They just haven't come up on my path yet.

Another new member,
Sonia 🙂

Hiya, Val,

Don't we all when we first come to ourselves and arrive in a forum that's filled with people who've been doing what we are starting to do? Well, I did. And for freaking years I read and read and read at HeartCorps and BeginningLife before finally gathering enough self-respectablity to actually start posting at what is now GenderLife. It took awhile, and I remember how insignificant and ignorant I seemed with "the big girls."

It passes. One day not all that long from now, you'll be the big girl and be moderating instead of sorta just peekin' in.

Welcome back, Val.

Nichole