When you all first came out as trans did you ever feel that you needed to have a female role model or mature mentally as a woman?  For some reason I feel the need to go through a maturation process as a female before actually going through transition.  I also wished I had a female role model.  Am I being odd?  I feel weird being 23 and acting like I am 8 or something. 

To be perfectly honest, you're not being odd. If you're on your way to becoming a woman or if you already have undergone that change, it's more than acceptable to have a certain person whom you wish to imitate. It helps the mind grow more in depth than before.

Plus, if you look up to someone it's most likely because of their ideals and/or how they go about doing them. Nothing wrong with trying to imitate that.

Maybe having a mentor would be good. Most likely you will naturally mature with time. Becoming comfortable with the feminine beauty within yourself so to speak. You have a gift to share with the whole world.

Self respect, standards, situational awareness - I think these things comprise women's intuition and are a large part of female maturity.

I can understand the need, but I would look back on my life and see how my Mother was and use her example, modifying it for modern times.  She was a wife of the 50's and had a different way about her than more modern women do.

Janet

The problem with role models is that they are mortals.

Try Hilary Clinton

Try Hilary Clinton

Isn't she rather busy these days?

Different women have different qualities. Finding that balance between playfulness and sophistcation without being too fussy can be a challenge. Interaction and study among several women will help. Find the best qualities of each and create the woman you'd like be. Then just be yourself as the woman you are 

As far as a guide to the uniquely female aspects of life, yeah I'd love one. 

As far as an actual female role model to "mature mentally as a woman". . .

To me, some of the strongest female role-models are those who are not just strong women but strong people. Using fiction for an example, Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell and Samus Aran of Metroid have incredible strength neither in spite of nor because of their gender. Their femininity does have some bearing on their being, but it has no affect on their strength.

While I do recognize distinctions between manhood and womanhood, I feel the basic tenets of strength are the same for each.

are you on hormones?
after you start your hormones you WILL go thru a maturing process since you'll be starting over at around 15/16 and then you have to learn the same way every other girl has had to to. my therapist told me to just have fun as i go thru it! which i am doing.

this will confound some people in your life just try to expalin it to them and then let them watch it.

so have fun girl

Quote from: lauren3332 on June 27, 2009, 08:25:34 PM
When you all first came out as trans did you ever feel that you needed to have a female role model or mature mentally as a woman?  For some reason I feel the need to go through a maturation process as a female before actually going through transition.  I also wished I had a female role model.  Am I being odd?  I feel weird being 23 and acting like I am 8 or something.

Don't worry hun, being 23 myself, I too have this weird 'lack' of 'maturity' thing going. I've managed to get the social thing going 'OK' (thank God!), but I am lacking other areas. Some of you might remember the sunburn I had a while back  . Well, as a guy, I just let it go and it eventually healed. Now that I am out (took long enough  ), I got upset at the sight of the sunburn. I had to ask myself, what do women do when they get burned? I finally just asked people here (thanks everyone, I love you all  ). The point is, we are at the age where we are just getting out of puberty, where we were supposed to 'find ourselves,' only to find out that 'ourselves' ended up being different! It feels odd and sometimes I do get upset  , but it's the same for all women, and in some way that makes me feel better .


P.S. I have a point in there somewhere.....

I am, *cough* *cough*, rather mature already, being almost three times your age.  First, you want to mature as a person.  Maturing as a woman will then become natural to you.

I am lucky - very lucky - to have many women friends.  I have more women friends as Kate than I ever did as whats-his-name.

I had lots of ideas of what A Woman is like, acts like, looks like, etc.  Through talking to my women firends I have found that I am OK if I can just relax and be myself.  I can't count the times that I've complained about some aspect of my body or appearance or behavior or presentation and one of my women friends would dismiss my concern as irrelevant.  This is a learning process.  If possible, hang out with a bunch of women you enjoy and who accept you.  Accept them for the wonderful people each of them is and they will accept you for the wonderful person you are. 

And I agree that first of all you want to be a strong person.  After that, being a strong woman will come naturally.

- Kate

Quote from: tekla on June 29, 2009, 12:14:48 AM
Try Hilary Clinton

Isn't she rather busy these days?

No.

Barack keeps her confined to the State Department. Others do the real dirty work.

I would imagine that H.C. has some free time on her hands.