As a survival mechanism long ago, I learned to simply think like this:
I define me.
Not the person making fun of me or telling me to tone it down.
Not the person calling me names. Because, frankly, they can fuck off.
Not the girl who flirts with me and then realizes in that split second I am not a biological man.
Not the girl who stands beside me, and I have been blessed with some awesome femmes who have totally embraced me.
No, I define me.
And I define only me. I don't dare define others. I don't know their journey to this moment when I encounter them. I accept their self-definition, hoping they will accept mine and we can interact like two adults.
And I am very comfortable with me. And I am blessed with friends who love me. And now and then, I am blessed with a woman who will put up with me.
That's just how I view the world.
Jake
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