Category Archives: Uncategorized

[Flow of consciousness processing & “integration” after my second psychedelic experience (Ketamine-Assisted Psychedelic Therapy) from this morning] “I’m a mountain” — as I grew up out of the earth with it all.  “I’m a river” — as I let go and flowed with it all.  “I’m in the earth” — I felt that I wasContinue reading “There’s so much Love! — I know”

[Flow of consciousness processing — “integration” — after my first psychedelic experience (Ketamine-Assisted Psychedelic Therapy) from this morning] “Why words?” Indeed, why words?  And yet, that’s what I’m using right now, right now, writing words. Writing words.  Why words?  Because they define us…? Maybe…?  Because sometimes they’re all we’ve got, all we’re allowed to haveContinue reading “Why words?”

Another sad, concerning, infuriating reminder that the battle for trans people (& their allies) isn’t over, yet, and is actually getting worse in many places: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/05/11/1172589936/as-conservative-states-target-trans-rights-a-florida-teen-flees-for-a-better-lif

How people (mis)gender me and react to my appearances & my being openly/explicitly queer still affects me a lot — often too much.  The cashier at the cafe where I went to get lunch today misgenered me with a colleague, referring to me as “she”, and it basically ruined my day. In my head I’mContinue reading “Burning points”

On Sunday I did my first multi-pitch trad climb with a friend, i.e not with a professional guide (& it had been nearly two years since I’d done a trad climbing multi-pitch route anyway).  I went with one of my closest climbing buddies, someone with whom I climb almost every single weekend — we basicallyContinue reading “Turning point”

I love this feeling of belonging. Of belonging here, here and now.  I belonged in the Acroyoga class on Monday night where, although I’ve been there only a couple times, some people remembered me from the previous two times I had gone — and it’s just a warm, welcoming, respectful, and affectionate community anyway.  IContinue reading “I belong”

One last moment of hesitation and then Arys did it. He walked into the men’s changing room at the climbing gym.  It was a new space for him. He didn’t know where to expect the stalls and wash basins, didn’t know where the lockers and towels would be. And he didn’t want to look aroundContinue reading “Hey man, what’s up?”

People stare at me.  Adults at the swimming-pool on average look at me with a longer and/or slightly more puzzled look than they used to when I was female-presenting and wearing some type of standard woman’s swimsuit.  Last Saturday, three teenage boys kept staring at me and talking amongst themselves as I stretched on theContinue reading “People staring”

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/09/1155819217/young-florida-athletes-wont-have-to-share-their-menstrual-cycle-details-to-compe https://www.npr.org/2023/04/05/1168219569/authors-of-banned-books-are-fed-up-and-fighting-back https://www.npr.org/2023/04/19/1170553504/florida-abortion-life-of-the-mother-exception-mental-health-suicide-psychiatric https://www.npr.org/2023/04/19/1170919494/fate-of-abortion-pills-remains-in-doubt-as-supreme-court-ponders-lower-court-ver

I guess I’m an optimist who cannot avoid seeing — or trying to find — the silver lining in everything…  The silver lining of the abusive situation with my former housemate/landlady escalating and exploding three weeks ago is that it led to a much deeper connection with people within my choir/queer community in a wayContinue reading “A deeper sense of belonging”