Much of what I remember as a child was that girls/women featured strongly in my early years - most of the friends I played with were girls, my father was in the Navy and seemed to be serving overseas a lot, and my mother and I often stayed with my Gran where I had an aunt only a few years older than me, and was more like an older sister.
So, what significant events happened in my formative years?...I do remember that when I was six I attended dance classes for tap and ballet. It never occurred to me then that I was the only boy in the troupe and quite innocently played my part on stage in the same costumes the girls wore. Sure enough the significance dawned on me later (the other boys calling me names helped!) and my first feelings of gender confusion were felt.
My father started to get new postings around the UK every couple of years, and me being somewhat introverted, I found it difficult to make new friends. What was the point anyway, I always seemed to be saying goodbye to them. Each new location was a new nightmare. As a child you adapt to local accents/dialects to survive, but the first days and weeks were about being made fun of because I 'spoke funny', and often had to fight in the playground to establish my place in the hierarchy. This affected me such that as I grew older, I developed a total respect for everyone who is considered 'different' by the majority. I have tried hard not to pre-judge anyone and as a result have made friends with people from all walks of life, cultural backgrounds and beliefs.
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