Seeing the Way to Fly

"Don't believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation.
Look with your understanding, find out what you already know,
and you'll see the way to fly."

--Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingston Seagull

I think one of the best experiences a TG person can have is to attend one of the many conventions that exist in our community. I attended my first, the IFGE convention that was held in Toronto during March of 1998.

Attending the convention was a good experience. There were all kinds of people to meet, new friends to make, and new things to learn. Of course, one of the most important things that could be seen was that none of us need be alone if we don't wish to be. It's important to realize that there are many of us, and when there are so many, how can what we do be so strange?

And it is not strange. No matter what level any of us were at, no matter how recently we had accepted ourselves, and no matter what our own personal plans were for the future, if there was one lesson to be learned, it was that we are not strange.

Yes, that's me on the left. The photo was taken during the convention, and if I recall correctly, we were on our way out dancing shortly after the photo was taken. If you've looked at the rest of my site, you may be surprised to see that I do indeed have legs, which came in handy for that activity.

As you can tell, the convention wasn't all for learning and education--we all had plenty of fun too! There wasn't just dancing; sometimes there was simply the fun of being amongst one's own people.

And there were a lot of us. You couldn't walk through the lobby of the hotel without seeing at least a few of us going out somewhere or coming back from somewhere.

As I've mentioned, the convention was a time for making new friends, but it was also a time for catching up with existing ones.

This is a photo of my friend Amanda and I in the hotel bar on the Saturday night. The awards had been presented, the speeches had been made, and it was time for a little fun. Most of us headed to the hotel bar to finish the evening, and Amanda and I (as well as some other friends) were no exception.

By the way, I know Amanda from Xpressions, a support and social club in Toronto. Both of us are members.

Overall, how did the convention affect me personally? It's difficult to say.

I had felt completely at home, completely happy, and completely at peace during the weekend. Indeed, for one of the the first times in my life, I had felt proud to be TG, and to be affiliated with so many fine people. It is a good feeling, and one I hope never to lose. The convention confirmed what I already knew: that there is nothing strange about this; this is perfectly normal and natural for us.

And yet, the experience changed me somewhat--just by going and talking with other TGs, I learned a lot about myself, about the community, and about TGism in general. It really is a gift we have been given--we need to realize that fact, and to help others like ourselves to realize it also. No matter what position each of us occupies on the gender spectrum, we share a common pool of experiences and have a common pool of concerns. Changed indeed--my outlook on TGism and the role it will play in my life will never be quite the same again.

If I had to say what lesson I came away with, it was that I began to look not with my eyes, but with my understanding. I found out what I already knew. And now, I think I'm closer to knowing how to fly.

Questions? Comments? Just want to say hi? Send me a message:

lynnemca@hotmail.com

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