Singed

It was a busy long weekend.  Part of it involved spending some time at the beach in a recently bought bikini.  Although I've worn a bikini before this was the first time I actually did it in public like this.  I suppose the most lasting result is that sun touched spots on my body that it doesn't usually touch so I'm a little pink at the moment.  Nothing major, but at least I don't feel as though my mid-section is so blindingly white that a satellite in outer space could spot it.

We did a little shopping.  We took the horse and buggy tour around downtown Charleston.  We sat on the pier last night for a couple of hours watching the sun go down, and enjoyed the fireworks.  I went to the David Gray concert on Friday.  We went to church.  We had some REAL BBQ (in my case, ribs), and Sunday morning I made Donna's delectible croissant breakfast sandwiches.  We went to the fitness center.  I washed the dog, and we walked her all around downtown.  All things considered - it was a busy but enjoyable long weekend.

I still pinch myself sometimes, wondering if things that are happening are real or a dream. 

The big event in my future is the Wrestling event in Rochester this weekend.  The event is sanctioned by the same organization that oversees US Freestyle and Greco-Roman competitions so it's no small thing.  There are only two weight-classes for women - below 154 pounds and over 154 pounds.  There is one 3 minute period, and you win by either scoring 2 points (pushing the opponent out of bounds, takedown) or a pin.  Anyway - I drive all the way across the state to train and I'm doing it again tonight.   We do what we need to do.

I've talked about it before, but competitive athletics and trans-people continue to be one of those hot-button intersections.  It's interesting that things really haven't progressed that far from Renee Richards days in terms of acceptance.  Granted, organizations now have more inclusive rules but those rules rarely get tested and when they do things get noisy.  Last year a boy refused to compete against a girl in the Iowa HS Wrestling championships so the gender line in sports in general is a powder keg sometimes.

I know many trans people who support the notion of equal rights but stop short of being able to support competing against natal born women.  I'm not going to argue about it - there are rules in my sport that cover this particular situation and I'm well within the guidelines.  I've had my blood chemistry tested so I'm confident I'm good in that regard as well.  But once you find yourself arguing about muscle memory or the lingering effects of growing up on testosterone or other things you find yourself in an argument that is as much emotional as logical.  Those are arguments that have no winners.

But as we look at the boundaries of being involved in life as men and women, and enjoying the unquestioned rights (and obligations) that come with the territory so too is this one of those.  And so, too, are some of us going to want to participate.  It's just that simple. 

I always hope things aren't going to get too crazy but you can only control what you can control.  I've done my best to train and I'll do my best to aquit myself well.  The rest isn't up to me.

On a side note I'm planning to bring back a cooler of Wegmans stuff.  I MISS Wegmans.  Plus, I promised my son a care package that includes his favorite iced cookies.