Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Nesting

I have been in my new place in downtown Charleston for almost two weeks now and the honeymoon continues.  Honest to God, I pinch myself as I walk along the historic streets and alleys that are downtown Charleston and are also my neighborhood.  Coming around the corner at 6:30 in the morning and watching the sun rise over the ocean is something I hope never stops taking my breath away.

For some reason, I recognize the feeling as the same way I felt when I first moved away for college almost 30 years ago.  In fact, I find myself doing things I haven't done SINCE college.  Like go to a laundromat.  And rather than being drudgery - it has been great.  Between all the various things I want to do I'd need to add a couple more hours to the day to fit it all in.

I've set my anchor several times in recent years but honestly, this one has been the most fun.  When I first moved to Austin in 2000 I didn't know a single soul there and even though I was looking forward to something new it wasn't like this.  I cried over it.  I haven't cried here.  Yet.

I'm good at working through the logistics of moving but there has never been this kind of an emotionial connection with where I am.  There is a newness, a freshness, an energy that transcends any one or two or three reasons but at the same time I can't pinpoint specifics.  I think it's some combination of being where I want to be, a feeling of adventure, and some throwback to younger days.  All I can say is that I hope it continues.

I've done a number of things of note over the past week.  I went to Asheville NC to get my "stuff" out of the storage unit I had there.  I traveled across the state to begin wrestling training.  Work is going well.  And, I continue to "nest".   I'm getting my place settled and I think I'm past the worst of it.  There is a chaos involved in moving and there's more order now than mess which is a good thing especially given that I've got company coming.

On other topics, there's a movie premiering at Sundance worth noting:



Trans issues are human drama and whether it's TransAmerica, Boys Don't Cry, or any number of other portrayals this kind of stuff gets past the fluff and gets to the brutal reality of our humanity.  Anyway - it looks as though it can be and should be good.

I talked with a reporter for The New Republic a few weeks ago who was writing a story on trans issues.  I was driving at the time and had to pull over to chat but she asked intelligent questions and I felt she wanted to do a good job so I actually felt good about the conversation when it was all done.  The end result was printed online yesterday (read it here), and is the cover story right now.  It's over 5,000 words long so it's no short treatment.

But the best part might be the Gallery of stories that they provide as "Extra". (See it here).    That's cool stuff.  Important stuff.  Many of us know several of the people that are profiled and it's so important to see our lives and our relationships treated in such a respectful way.  Anyways - good stuff.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have been following your blog for a long time but I can't remember how long it's been since I've heard you talk like this. You sound very happy, more then usual. It's like you found yourself, a kid in a candy store looking all over and finding new joy everywhere. I am so happy for you.

Anonymous said...

Donna,

Do you know if this piece will be printed in the magazine itself at some point or just on-line for "Premium" New Republic members? I'd love to read it, but can't afford to join a website right now.

Regardless, thanks for being interviewed and trying to help our community all the time. : )

Karin

sweetbrandigirl2004 said...

Karin although I don't agree with the article I'll provide you a link.
http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/magazine/90519/transgender-civil-rights-gay-lesbian-lgbtq?passthru=NzQ2OTlhODJkM2Y3ODQzYzZlMTQ5MjQ4ZjA1Yzg0YmE

I feel she blends to many copmmnities together and in doing so only confuses more people. She also give the impression that transgender people follow the standards of care which we all known they don't. The story is misleading and I feel that was done on purpose> The transgender machine has gotten so loud screaming about how they have gender Identity Issues and how unfair it is to treat them the way society does. They keep spouting parts of the DSMV, but fail to explain to people that they don't follow the DSMV they only use it as vilification for how they live. They don't tell people they haven't had counseling and have NO plans to get any nor do they tell people they have zero desire for surgery , but boy they all want to scream about how they are gender dysphoric and need special rights to go into women restrooms with a penis. anyway heres your link.

Sophie Lynne said...

I'm so glad you are happy! I hope the sunrises never cease to take your breath away as well!

Thanks gor the link. One of the people in the gallery may be of interest to our mutual friend. :)

Anonymous said...

Brandi,

Thanks for the link! I can't wait to read it.

If I'm reading you correctly, "Transgender Machine" refers to the all the various "Gender-Spectrum" groups/folks out there who are blurring/melding gender roles/lives, etc.? (I don't want to put words into your mouth, trust me.)

For me, I think "Gay, Inc." doesn't have our long-term interests in mind and will drop us like a bad habit as soon as Gay Marriage is a go in all 50 states. I hope our community will be prepared for that if it happens. More importantly, I hope I am 100% wrong and the GL&B's will staunchly defend and help us.

Thanks again for the link. : )

Best to Everyone,

Karin