i recently received a comment from a new reader (thanks!), which helped me remember why i blog. i remember back before i had a blog, i felt incredibly alone and lost. transitioning felt pretty much impossible and mystifying. and then i stumbled upon someone's blog and life and transitioning felt a little lighter and actually possible - here was someone actually taking the steps i wanted to take. i saw that transitioning was possible and life as a trans person was possible. and then things began to fall into place for me and i began my own blog.
why not blog? we are each living incredibly unique journeys - blogging can be a way to celebrate the diversity of each individual's journey. personally, i feel it is important to relate my experiences as a trans person for several reasons:
(1) to inspire within others an awareness and understanding of trans-related experiences
(2) to demystify trans experiences
(3) to "clear up" any stereotypes of trans folks
(4) to let other trans folks know there are more of us out there
(5) to support the trans community
(6) to educate both trans and cis-gender folks
(7) to share resources
(8) to affirm my journey as a positive learning experience(s)
....the list goes on!
so to my readers (a task if you dare!):
-has reading others' blogs been helpful? why or why not?
-what, if anything, have you gotten out of reading a blog?
-why do YOU blog?
peace!
Yet Another Testosterone Shortage in Canada
1 year ago
5 comments:
1. Typically when searching through blogs, something catches my eye.. a headline that makes me go "Hmmmm..." Usually it's because I'm having that "I feel so alone" feeling and am looking to find someone feeling the same things so I can stop feeling so alone. Selfish? Perhaps. Honest? Absolutely.
Some blogs have taught me things. Some blogs have opened doors to new friends. Some blogs have amused me. Some blogs have horrified me. They come in all flavors, shapes and sizes and they are just great for whatever we need.
I love to be a part of this community. I love to share. So I share. Maybe, someday, someone out there will get my perspective and become a friend, or learn something, or become amused, or horrified... or just realize they're not alone.
Muah!
--Jenna
Jenna! Thanks so much for your responses, I really like reading them because you actually take time to formulate a response! True story - blogs come in all flavors, shapes and sizes. I really enjoying being a part of the community and sharing as well - I feel like even if I can do/give a little bit that that is still contributing and is better than nothing. Have you gotten anything out of my blog?
Blogs were hugely important for me as I was coming into a a trans identity: they helped me to see the human beings behind terms like transgender, transsexual and genderqueer. I found a huge diversity in the way trans people identify and see themselves, and that helped me figure out my own identity.
When I was 14 or 15, I found websites about trans issues (such as Hudson's FTM guide) but I couldn't really relate with the bare facts that they presented. I didn't feel like a man in a woman's body, which was the only narrative I encountered online. It was only through reading blogs that I later realized that there's a variety of identities between "masculine woman" and "binary-identified transsexual man". I may, one day, become a binary-identified transsexual man, but for now I need to know that there are other gender-variant people like me who are transitioning.
I started writing about trans issues to work out all my thoughts, and I decided to publish my stuff on a blog so I could be a part of the ongoing dialog that I saw between blogs. It isn't always an obvious conversation, but some blog posts inspire other bloggers to think about certain topic and I think that's a great way to learn from each other.
Now that my identity is pretty stable, I still read trans blogs because I like all the bloggers I follow :) It makes me feel connected to something like a community. And I always like seeing many different points of view. For me, that's the main value of blogs -- a book can give you a deep perspective on something, but it's only one perspective (the author's). Not everyone can write a book, but many people have access to blogging, so there's a rich variety of voices.
Luke... your blogs have inspired me on many occasions. :) Anyone reading through my blogs will know that I have had some dark times in my life... looking back at them I can see most were self-inflicted.
Regardless, they were dark and there have been many times that one of your blogs was able to lift my head out of the fog I was in to remind me that I'm not alone... it's alright.
Life is like one of those hologram cards sometimes. When you twist it one way, it looks like one thing but when you twist it another way, it's completely different. I'm glad to find people who know this as well as I do and aren't afraid to call it out.
Your blog makes me think... makes me smile... and sometimes makes me laugh. These are all good things in my opinion... they're all things I like to do. :)
Now... your turn. :)
Thanks Jenna! I like your life metaphor - it's a good way to look at it. I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog as well - I appreciate your perspective. What I also appreciate is the fact that what you write about isn't necessarily specific to trans topics, but more inclusive to other life experiences (though not necessarily excluding trans experiences either).
Post a Comment