I had a dream last night, it's a reacquiring dream , I was a little girl playing with dolls with my girlfriends. Sometimes I dream. I am a teenager at a slumber party playing with make up or hairstyles or giggling about boys until the wee hours. Then at other times, I am the bell of the Ball in a beautiful gown at my Senior Prom. Then I wake up. You would think waking up to reality would put me in a funk, but no, I lie there and bask in what should have been.
I can't help the fact that I was born in 1949 into a Irish Catholic environment. My family was very loving. and my childhood was ideal, The problem was with me. I always knew I was different, I wasn't like other boys, but I did not know why I was jealous of my sister because she got to wear pretty dresses and I was stuck with dumb boys clothes.
There was no information available to me about alternate lifestyles and what I was taught in Catholic school was that there was only one available acceptable way to live.
By the time I was 15 I had lost faith in Catholicism and had embarked on a study of world wide religious cultures witch I continue to the present day .
It took me fifty years however to figure out myself. The internet opened my eye to the fact that I wasn't unique, there were other people like me and there were resources to help us. I learned there was a name for my condition, I was transgendered. A whole new world opened for me. I went to see a lady who would become one of my best friends and she gave me my first makeover and dressed me up and took me out to a nightclub, suddenly a whole new world opened up before my eyes and I realized this person is the real me.
I have never looked back, I jumped into this new world with both feet and I was truly happy for the first time in my life.
That was twelve years ago and I am now living as the woman I was always meant to be.I have no regrets, what is past is past and it is a waste of precious time to dwell on it. I rejoice in the fact that many transgendered children born today do not have to go through the years of anguish that was my life for far too long. My hope is that all children who are somewhat different from society's norm are given the chance to achieve their full potential.
In parting, I would like to quote a wise old lady who once told me that, normal, is a setting on your clothes dryer.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Person of the year
It's been a couple of days since I have visited this blog and I'm sorry about that, but I can't write unless I have something to say, I'm funny that way.
That said, I just read where Time Magazine has named the Protester as their person of the year. How could it have been any one else. Since early this year when the Arab Spring began in Egypt and spread like wildfire through the Middle East, we have seen a record number of protest spring up throughout the world.
In New York City last summer a small number of orderly peaceful protesters camped out in Zuccotti Park on Wall Street and called themselves Occupy Wall Street. The media ignored them. Others however were paying attention. Soon Occupy protests were springing up in Cites all across the Country and soon around the world. Obviously a raw nerve had been touched. The media took notice, but they were puzzled. Whats going on? What do they want? Who's leading these people? Who do they answer too? Pundits around the world were asking these questions.
"Somethings happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear" Buffalo Springfield 1968. Sorry my roots are showing. I had to throw that in from my own protest days. Ah to be young again.
I Have spent some time with the Occupy Denver protesters and have learned a little about where they are coming from. I think I know enough to try to give voice to some of their issues, but in no way do I claim to be an expert. These young people are Intelligent, dedicated and determined. they are also very much committed to non violence. That much I know for a fact. I would love to be more involved in their cause but I'm a bit too old and a bit too female to camp out in Civic Center Park.
Lets go to what I perceive to be the root of this movement. Basically it comes down to a broken promise. When FDR signed the New Deal into Law in the 1930s it initiated the development of the largest and most affluent Middle Class in the history of this country. Along with this came a implied promise, that became known as the American Dream. It said no matter where you were born, no matter how wealthy or poor your parents were, if you worked hard, studied hard , did good in school and got a good education, you could achieve all your goals. The sky was the limit, anyone no matter how modest your beginnings could grow up to be President of the United States of America. That promise has been broken. Who broke it? That is a good question.
The place to start is the 1980 Election of Ronald Regan, the icon of the GOP, The Republican party has become a cult and Regan is their figurehead. To hear them say it, He single handily won the Cold War, defeated the Soviet Union, and tore down the Berlin Wall. None of these things are true, but one thing he did do is declare war on the Middle Class. How did he conduct this war that continued for the next 30 years. It's complected but the simple explanation is Taxes. deregulation and so called free trade. He started the trend to raise taxes on the Middle class, lower taxes on the rich and deregulate every thing under the control of the big Wall Street bankers. O and to top it all off we got talked into so called free trade polices that sent all our manufacturing jobs overseas.
After 30 years of these polices the Middle Class was decimated, there were no jobs to be had and to top it all off the banksters on Wall Street had crashed the economy by gambling the fortunes of the Middle class on bad loans and making millions by betting against their own gambles. Don't ask me how, I don't know how they did it, I only know that they were able to get away with it because all of the regulations against what they did were removed by a series of Administrations over the last 30 years, both Republican and Democratic.
So now we are here in 2011, Unemployment has been at or above 9% for four years. Foreclosure's are at an all time high and the end is nowhere in sight. If you are a 21 year old collage graduate, you probably are hundreds of thousands of dollars in dept to student loans and the only job you can find has you asking, do you want fries with that. I wonder why they are mad. So why Occupy Wall Street. Because as Baby Face Nelson once said, "That where the money is". In this case the money that is sitting in the coffers of the Wall Street Bankers (two trillion in cash, the most ever) is money that should be circulating in the economy, stimulating jobs and helping the middle class climb out of the current depression.
That is the short version. the why of the situation, in future blogs I will try to go into what they want and how they hope to archive it, I will even try to explore the question of leadership. at least from the perspective of this old activist.
That said, I just read where Time Magazine has named the Protester as their person of the year. How could it have been any one else. Since early this year when the Arab Spring began in Egypt and spread like wildfire through the Middle East, we have seen a record number of protest spring up throughout the world.
In New York City last summer a small number of orderly peaceful protesters camped out in Zuccotti Park on Wall Street and called themselves Occupy Wall Street. The media ignored them. Others however were paying attention. Soon Occupy protests were springing up in Cites all across the Country and soon around the world. Obviously a raw nerve had been touched. The media took notice, but they were puzzled. Whats going on? What do they want? Who's leading these people? Who do they answer too? Pundits around the world were asking these questions.
"Somethings happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear" Buffalo Springfield 1968. Sorry my roots are showing. I had to throw that in from my own protest days. Ah to be young again.
I Have spent some time with the Occupy Denver protesters and have learned a little about where they are coming from. I think I know enough to try to give voice to some of their issues, but in no way do I claim to be an expert. These young people are Intelligent, dedicated and determined. they are also very much committed to non violence. That much I know for a fact. I would love to be more involved in their cause but I'm a bit too old and a bit too female to camp out in Civic Center Park.
Lets go to what I perceive to be the root of this movement. Basically it comes down to a broken promise. When FDR signed the New Deal into Law in the 1930s it initiated the development of the largest and most affluent Middle Class in the history of this country. Along with this came a implied promise, that became known as the American Dream. It said no matter where you were born, no matter how wealthy or poor your parents were, if you worked hard, studied hard , did good in school and got a good education, you could achieve all your goals. The sky was the limit, anyone no matter how modest your beginnings could grow up to be President of the United States of America. That promise has been broken. Who broke it? That is a good question.
The place to start is the 1980 Election of Ronald Regan, the icon of the GOP, The Republican party has become a cult and Regan is their figurehead. To hear them say it, He single handily won the Cold War, defeated the Soviet Union, and tore down the Berlin Wall. None of these things are true, but one thing he did do is declare war on the Middle Class. How did he conduct this war that continued for the next 30 years. It's complected but the simple explanation is Taxes. deregulation and so called free trade. He started the trend to raise taxes on the Middle class, lower taxes on the rich and deregulate every thing under the control of the big Wall Street bankers. O and to top it all off we got talked into so called free trade polices that sent all our manufacturing jobs overseas.
After 30 years of these polices the Middle Class was decimated, there were no jobs to be had and to top it all off the banksters on Wall Street had crashed the economy by gambling the fortunes of the Middle class on bad loans and making millions by betting against their own gambles. Don't ask me how, I don't know how they did it, I only know that they were able to get away with it because all of the regulations against what they did were removed by a series of Administrations over the last 30 years, both Republican and Democratic.
So now we are here in 2011, Unemployment has been at or above 9% for four years. Foreclosure's are at an all time high and the end is nowhere in sight. If you are a 21 year old collage graduate, you probably are hundreds of thousands of dollars in dept to student loans and the only job you can find has you asking, do you want fries with that. I wonder why they are mad. So why Occupy Wall Street. Because as Baby Face Nelson once said, "That where the money is". In this case the money that is sitting in the coffers of the Wall Street Bankers (two trillion in cash, the most ever) is money that should be circulating in the economy, stimulating jobs and helping the middle class climb out of the current depression.
That is the short version. the why of the situation, in future blogs I will try to go into what they want and how they hope to archive it, I will even try to explore the question of leadership. at least from the perspective of this old activist.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
A few thoughts about the Newt
No one is more surprised to see Newt Gingrich leading in the polls for the Republican Nomination for President than Newt Gingrich, He was just on a book tour and trying to boost his speaking fees. Like Herman Cain he saw the campaign as a fun way to sell some books and get some free publicity.
He will not be the GOP nominee, this guy has more skeletons than the Vatican and there are people in DC on both sides of the aisle with long memories and no love for the Newt. It appears that his ego will not let him back out gracefully, so he will go down in flames. I don't know when and I'm not sure how, but it will be before the Convention where the GOP will reluctantly Nominate Romney.
Lets look at a few of his skeletons. He cheated on his first wife with his second wife. He was cheating on his second wife with his third wife as he was pushing for the impeachment of President Clinton for getting a blow job in the White House. He engineered a Government shutdown because Clinton made him sit at the back of Air Force One on a return flight from the Middle East. His peers in the House found him guilty of ethics violations and fined him $300,000.00. He resigned his House seat in disgrace. Their is a lot more but I am starting to get writers cramp writing them all down.
The movers and shakers in the GOP have decided 2012 is a lost cause as far as the White House is concerned. They will spend billions trying to increase their numbers in Congress and Statehouses.The religious wing nuts on the right will stay home rather than vote for a Morman. They consider the Mormans a cult. I have no problems with that, I consider all organized religions cults, but that's for another blog.
Well there you have it folks and you saw it first here. Take care and give everybody you love a special hug.
Hugs
Debbie
He will not be the GOP nominee, this guy has more skeletons than the Vatican and there are people in DC on both sides of the aisle with long memories and no love for the Newt. It appears that his ego will not let him back out gracefully, so he will go down in flames. I don't know when and I'm not sure how, but it will be before the Convention where the GOP will reluctantly Nominate Romney.
Lets look at a few of his skeletons. He cheated on his first wife with his second wife. He was cheating on his second wife with his third wife as he was pushing for the impeachment of President Clinton for getting a blow job in the White House. He engineered a Government shutdown because Clinton made him sit at the back of Air Force One on a return flight from the Middle East. His peers in the House found him guilty of ethics violations and fined him $300,000.00. He resigned his House seat in disgrace. Their is a lot more but I am starting to get writers cramp writing them all down.
The movers and shakers in the GOP have decided 2012 is a lost cause as far as the White House is concerned. They will spend billions trying to increase their numbers in Congress and Statehouses.The religious wing nuts on the right will stay home rather than vote for a Morman. They consider the Mormans a cult. I have no problems with that, I consider all organized religions cults, but that's for another blog.
Well there you have it folks and you saw it first here. Take care and give everybody you love a special hug.
Hugs
Debbie
Saturday, December 10, 2011
A little about me and where I want to go
This is my first attempt at blogging, so please bare with me. I'm an old lady and this newfangled way of communicating is all still a bit of a mystery to me, but no worries I'm a fast study, and have always believed in on the job training.
I am a 62 year old transgendered woman. No big deal, there are lots of us out there. I have other fish to fry in this blog than being born in the wrong body. I will say I spent most of my life (50 years) floating down that river in Africa, you know de nile.
I will probably talk about my transition from male to female in future blogs from time to time but for right now, I want to establish where I am coming from.
I am a very liberal progressive activist. Proud to be a bleeding heart, so if you have a problem with that, go somewhere else, unless of course you want to learn something.
I have been an activist all my life starting in 1971 when I got out of the Navy and joined the Vietnam Vetrans against the war. I have some great stories about those days, but that was a long time ago in another life. It took us a few years, but we ended a war that decimated my generation for no reason whatsoever. But that is old news, I want to talk about what is going on today.
In the 1930's FDR pushed through Congress a controversial program he called the New Deal. This legislation was the catalyst that sparked the establishment of the largest, most affluent middle class in the history of this country.
In 1980 Ronald Reagen started the process of destroying this middle class. Thirty years later his goal has almost been accomplished. We are at a crossroad and our very way of life is at stake, but more importantly our children's way of life in in pearl if we do not act now to stop the filithy rich banksters on Wall Street from subverting our democricy.
The most aggreaest of these assalts have been the Supreme court desicions the say corperations are people and money is speach. These concepts are so absurd as to be a joke, but because of a right wing Supreme court they are now the law of the land, it makes me want to cry.
I have much more to say about how we got here and what we have to do to get back to the America we all love but I don't want to ramble on to much in this, my first attempt at a blog.
I will stop here today and think about what I need to say tomorrow. Take care all
Hugs
Debbie
I am a 62 year old transgendered woman. No big deal, there are lots of us out there. I have other fish to fry in this blog than being born in the wrong body. I will say I spent most of my life (50 years) floating down that river in Africa, you know de nile.
I will probably talk about my transition from male to female in future blogs from time to time but for right now, I want to establish where I am coming from.
I am a very liberal progressive activist. Proud to be a bleeding heart, so if you have a problem with that, go somewhere else, unless of course you want to learn something.
I have been an activist all my life starting in 1971 when I got out of the Navy and joined the Vietnam Vetrans against the war. I have some great stories about those days, but that was a long time ago in another life. It took us a few years, but we ended a war that decimated my generation for no reason whatsoever. But that is old news, I want to talk about what is going on today.
In the 1930's FDR pushed through Congress a controversial program he called the New Deal. This legislation was the catalyst that sparked the establishment of the largest, most affluent middle class in the history of this country.
In 1980 Ronald Reagen started the process of destroying this middle class. Thirty years later his goal has almost been accomplished. We are at a crossroad and our very way of life is at stake, but more importantly our children's way of life in in pearl if we do not act now to stop the filithy rich banksters on Wall Street from subverting our democricy.
The most aggreaest of these assalts have been the Supreme court desicions the say corperations are people and money is speach. These concepts are so absurd as to be a joke, but because of a right wing Supreme court they are now the law of the land, it makes me want to cry.
I have much more to say about how we got here and what we have to do to get back to the America we all love but I don't want to ramble on to much in this, my first attempt at a blog.
I will stop here today and think about what I need to say tomorrow. Take care all
Hugs
Debbie
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