Number 30

3rd Life & Counting (here we go again)

It's been a long while, and a lot has happened. I thought about writing a recap of the 18 months, but I have opted not to. I'm just going to pick it up and go. Besides, a lot of those details will be evident as I keep writing.

I am a transgender woman, and my name is Nora.

I had my fourth laser hair removal session today. The purpose of these sessions is to permanently remove the hair on my face. It also really fucking hurts (Imagine a hive of bees stinging your face one after the other, and you'll have the general idea of how it feels). Interestingly enough, I pay money for this.

Here is my point. Some people, in speaking out against transgender folks, will speak about it as being some sort of 'whimsical' choice. They, of course, don't know what the hell they are talking about. Anyone who would go BACK for a second laser appointment (let alone a fourth, with a fifth scheduled), is not acting upon whimsy. The yearning need to achieve congruence between the way you look and the way you feel (regarding gender identity) is a powerful thing. Powerful enough to go under the laser time and time again.

Being transgender is not for wimps.

BTW: I heard this recently, and thought I'd pass it on. Someone asked the question: "How do you know if you're transgender?". The response? "If you don't spend a lot of time wondering if you're transgender you're probably not."