Do you consider crossdressing a serious issue in your life?

[Jeannie]

I would like to hear what you ladies think. It seems to me that the majority of us are unhappy with our lives most of the time. We always seem to be controlled by others around us. Maybe that is just life. I don't know. Being sensitive to others,caring and making the people we love most happy will most likely make us unhappy.It's heads they win,tails I lose. For me I just got tired of it. It's not a serious issue for me anymore just for the others who know me. Let them see what it feels like for a change. 55 years was enough for me. Hugs


Love
Jeannie

[Darth_Wolfenbarg]

Definitely. We are in one of the most discriminated groups in history. I'm from an ultra conservative town, and they now even seem to openly accept gays into that area. With the exception of bible thumpers trying to withhold their rights, they seem to cope fairly well. I have never heard of such a thing for a crossdresser in the area. That just adds to my fear card, which happens to be the strongest card in my hand currently... people are crazy.

So how does it affect my life directly? Well when I express myself like this I find myself to be smarter, more aware, stronger, and more compassionate. The greatest achievements of my life were done during times where I was expressing myself more fully at home. Lately since I've been allowed to open up to people, it has been like that only to a greater power.

My relationship is harder also. She may be accepting, but some little things she says can sometimes hurt me. Small things she doesn't even realize, or things she says because she thinks it helps. Sometimes she says things that are flat out mean and she doesn't know it. I have a hard time communicating this to her though, because she simply doesn't understand.

My relationship with my mom is becoming sour also. I feel like I need to tell this to her, but that just seems impossible for me. I don't know why this is so much more difficult, but I can't stand the thought of telling her, but that seems to be making me more distant from her.

Yes... it takes quite a toll I think.

[Absaroka]

It's not that serious an issue. More of a diversion, sometimes a diversion from more serious things I think. I'm think that the idea of diverting myself is perhaps more serious in itself than the means of diversion- what am I not doing, thinking, feeling instead of this? How does the secrecy impact me? In the back of my mind somewhere is the concern that CDing is a means of denial about other things, what they are I don't have a handle on but I don't think they have much to do with CDIng or gender.

Actually a lot of the time I think I am pretty happy (the above paragraph notwithstanding) although there are some things that rent too much space in my head. It's been suggested to me by people who's opinion I respect that sometimes I just need to have a clearer awareness of how good life is for me.

Absaroka

[Carol Ann]

Jeannie my love, I understand where you are coming from. You know since I retired and ran away from my children and all their problems and for what ever reason they just cann't seem to stand on their own two feet I loose myslf in the role of Carol Ann. Carol Ann has no issue with life or nature, she is free. Me I just want to be left alone and live in peace and Carol Ann does that very well. I could care less what people would think and say if and when they find out about Carol Ann, besides it's none of their F***** business. You know all those years as a printer and all that pressure didn't do wonders for my mine.

[Gaven McLaren]

To me yes crossdressing happens to be the second cause of my stress. My stress comes from wanting to tell people with the fear of rejection. I want to tell family and friends but in the case of my family I am worried that my sister will reject me and not let me see my niece and nephew. As for my friends I have the worry of them not talking to me. The second is less likely to happen but I am still worried about it. The reason I feel that it is less likely with my friends, is that my friends are from ren faire. For the most part faire folk are rather open minded.

[Rose Darn]

Jennie
You have brought up an interesting topic, self-assessment. Personally, I am quite satisfied with my life and the people in it, but happy is not a term that I like to use to discribe myself. You said, "We always seem to be controlled by others around us." And you are correct; but like most issues this is a two way street. I am not open to the public, just my wife (and I would be surprised if my daughters were completely clueless), and I really don't give a S__T what the general public thinks, I don't associate with them anyway. I don't mean to be unsensitive towards others, but I'll be damned if I will allow them to turn my days upside down and make me unhappy.
Rose

[Anita]

Hi Jeannie--
It's serious, but not "heavy" or "troubling" at the moment. Serious in the sense that it defines what I do, and the choices that I make. My public girl self has a life of her own, and that creates changes that I can't anticipate. If that eventually means transition, then it will be serious coupled with troubling at times. But all major changes are like that.
At present, it's just something that is always there; there isn't a day goes by that it's not in my thoughts or actions in some way.

[DonnaT]

I reckon it would be a more serious issue if I was prevented from CDing. As it is, it's serious enough, trying to keep my wife happy while maintaining my happyness.

[Merinda]

Woman are free to express themselves as they wish.

Men are restricted to fit the stereotypical male expression only.

Women are free to choose any hobby.

Men may only take interest in a sport , cars or other macho hobbies.

Women are free to wear what they wish.

Men will wear what they are told.

Women may dress in any color under the rainbow.

Men will wear black , grey or navy blue.

Women may choose their hairstyle.

Men will have only short hair.



HMMM , could be serious issue here!!

[DeeDee]

Hmm..at first I was going to say circumstances dictate, but then it occured that people dictate the circumstances. Jobs, family, neighbors. Unhappy? Perhaps somewhat that I just can't be DeeDee as often as i desire. But, I will say..when I do get out..I love it so much and the high continues for days after. So..I guess it is "just life"...we do what we can..and enjoy what we can. Its what we have..do what you can and smell the roses:)
DeeDee

[Paulie]

I have to so agree with DeeDee.....
It is "just life".

I think most everyone has to do a "balancing act" of one sort or another in their daily lives. We just add another facet to it with CDing.

For me it's mostly business as usual Monday thru Friday, and the weekends give me the chance to dress and relax. Am I doing a good job of balancing? I'm not sure... I guess I'm just doing what I can.

Life is far too short not to enjoy yourself and the things you love. You just have to make adjustments as you go.

[Kira Dias]

Serious enough that I am tried of purging, it cost too much to replace things.

[Lorna]

To me, crossdressing as a whole is a serious phoenomenon in the sense that we should all be acknowledged and treated as human beings, not as "freaks of nature".

However, I agree with Jeannie that society in general is very rigid, often humorless and generally uptight, and that the world needs more smiles, more silliness and more humor. Some of us here choose to incorporate some of that into our crossdressing, but that does not mean we take the issue of crossdressing lightly. We just wish to live out our lives on own terms, even when we happen to be dressed.

Take my recent photos for example (the purple hair & the dancing on bars & the punk GG friends) the pics do not necessarily reflect how I view crossdressing. They reflect how I view LIFE.

[Absaroka]

Merinda I know the grass is always greener on the other side. But I know a lot of women who envy men their freedom and would say men have far more freedom than men.

Absaroka

[Merinda]

Merinda I know the grass is always greener on the other side. But I know a lot of women who envy men their freedom and would say men have far more freedom than men.

Absaroka

Hi Absaroka ,

Everything that I mentioned above is restricted by one thing and one thing only " ATTITUDE OF SOCIETY " , they are not physical restrictions.
There are some aspects of being a man that are good such as as " walking the streets with much less risk of anyone approaching me for untoward reasons" .